BOINC is a multiplatform program for Distributed Computing.  Originally developed by the SETI@Home team from the University of California at Berkeley, BOINC allows scientists to develop science applications to be run by hundreds or thousands (or even more) of users.  It allows these scientists to harness the unused CPU cycles of everyday computer users to do research that would be impossible (or too expensive) in a standard laboratory setting.

By downloading the BOINC software, you can contribute to the advancement of various areas of science and mathematics.  No matter what your science interest, there is probably a BOINC project for you.


  So, where do I get this software?

You can download BOINC from this site.   There are versions for Windows, Mac (both PowerPC and Intel - but note that many individual science projects do not yet support Intel Macs), Linux/x86, and Solaris/SPARC.  

 Do I have to pay for the software?

Nope!  It's open source and licensed under the GNU Lesser General Public License.  Although the BOINC Core Client is open source, the individual projects may or may not release their source code.  Currently Seti, uFluids and Leiden Classical are the only projects that release the source code for their science applications (that I'm aware of).

 Does the BOINC software actually crunch the data?

Nope.  BOINC is just the interface for the science applications of each individual projects.  BOINC just does scheduling and resource allocation.

 Will BOINC hurt my computer?

Most likely not.  But there are risks with any software you download.  It is important to remember that BOINC and the science applications use your unused CPU cycles.  So, your processor use will jump to close to 100%.  It's critical to make sure that you computer is well ventilated because you'll start generating more heat.  There are free applications to monitor your computer temps, as well as applications that can be configured so BOINC uses fewer resources.

 Will BOINC get in the way of other programs?

BOINC is set up to run at low priority.  So, if you need your CPU cycles for gaming or other applications, BOINC will get out of the way (so to speak).

 So what kinds of science projects are out there?

There are enough projects to keep anyone busy and interested.  You can crunch for biology, physics, math and more.

 Can you give me links to projects?

Sure...  I've run a total of  24 different projects, some of which are ALPHA (or even pre-ALPHA) or BETA tests.  I wouldn't jump into those until you are comfortable with running BOINC.

 Rosetta@Home - Predicting protein structure from amino aacid sequences
  BOINC SIMAP - Looks at relationships among similar proteins from different organisms
  Einstein@Home - Search for gravity waves predicted by Einnstein's theories
  LHC@Home - Help design the beam for the Large Hadron Collider at CERN
  Seti@Home - Look for signs of Extraterrestrial Intellligence
  SZTAKI  Desktop Grid - Look for generalized binary number systems
  Predictor@Home - Predicting protein structure from amino aacid sequences
  World Community Grid - Predicting protein structure from amino acid sequences
  CPDN - Simulate climate change over the course oof time

  Seti@Home Beta/AstroPulse - Help develop the next generation Seti applications and AstroPulse applications
  Ralph@Home - Help develop the next generation Rosetta applications
  PrimeGrid - RSA factoring challenge
  Leiden Classical - Explore molecular interactions using the laws of classical physics
  uFluids - Simulates the behavior of fluids in microgravity environments
  Pirates@Home - Help improve BOINC as an application
  QMC@Home - Study Quantum Chemistry
 Maleria Control - Model the clinical epidemiology and naturral history of the Maleria parasite
  Hash Clash - Participate in cryptography research
  XtremeLab - Study how people use their computer cycles
  Chess960 -  Simulate Chess960 games
  BURP - Render animations
  VTU@Home - Study prime numbers
  Tanpaku - Study protein folding
 Rectilinear Crossing Numbers - Study number systems
 Nano-Hive@Home - Simulate large scale nanotech systems

 Where can I get more information?

The best place to get more information is The Unofficial BOINC Wiki, put together by Paul D. Buck and friends.  It has more information on BOINC and its projects than you can shake a stick of RAM at.

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