h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Most of the time, even when you're using your computer, the processor is idle. That idle processor time can be put to good use, such as in the "seti@home" project and other "distributed computing efforts" such as can be found at www.distributed.net

There is a project being run by Oxford University and others which will let your very own humble PC model the future of our climate when it has nothing else to be doing. A sort of "global-warming@home", if you like.

An introduction to whole scheme can be found at http://www.climate-dynamics.rl.ac.uk/~hansen/casino21.html

The FAQs can be found at http://www.climate-dynamics.rl.ac.uk/~hansen/casino21_faq.html

And finally, if you're interested, let them know by registering at http://www.climate-dynamics.rl.ac.uk/~hansen/register.html

Remember: a fully occupied computer is a happy computer. You want your computer to be happy. Your computer wants to be busy.

(This was also posted to "Everything > Ecology & Environment > Global Warming", as it seems relevant there as well. Sorry for the duplication)