Download Research Tools A mind is a terrible thing to waste, and
so, apparently, is an idle computer. On November 18, scientists
from Oregon State University (OSU) will begin harnessing the
idle time of thousands of personal computers to study climate
modeling and the resulting weather effects on the Pacific
Northwest and California. This project illustrates the power of
"citizen scientists," in this case, the thousands of individuals
whose personal computers will be leveraged during idle times. By
lashing together the computing power of these privately owned
PCs, the OSU team will create a digital network with the
computational chops of a supercomputer. The OSU participation in
this worldwide initiative, under the leadership of Philip Mote,
director of the Oregon Climate Change Research Institute, will
study the reliability of various climate simulation models in
the western United States. Microsoft Research provided primary
funding for this initiative, with additional support coming from
the Bureau of Land