Help out in the search for Gravitational Waves

[Ilander]

I attended a talk tonight on the detection of Gravitational Waves (well, the efforts to do so anyway), and it seems that they have learned a thing or two from SETI.

They lack the resources to perform all the necessary calculations (they have supercomputers, but there's still too much to do), but, as SETI did before them, they have released a screensaver/idle-time program for the home user. It works when your computer is idle, processing little bits of data and sending them back to the server to be analyzed, all the while giving you a nice little astronomy-themed screensaver.

Now, as to what Gravitational Waves are...

Well, the simple story is that they are a prediction of Einstein's Theory of Relativity that, if detected, could revolutionize modern physics, and open big doors of understanding that we have previously lacked.

For more information on Gravitational Waves, PM me, or google the term.

The program is available at http://einstein.phys.uwm.edu/

To set it up, find the Getting Started link at the top left. The instructions are there.

Please help out! You could contribute to the next great Physics discovery!

[Vaskez]

Sounds like a load of baboon's bollocks to me!


just kidding, but I thought it'd be funny to say that

Nah, my processor needs its rest, it'll die sooner if I keep it in use all the time. There's only so many times capacitances can charge and discharge in its circuits! [img]tongue.gif[/img]


BTW you look remarkably like the Hieropants in your photoshopped sig-pic! [img]tongue.gif[/img] Poor Ilander! I mean poor Hieropants! I dunno who's poorer!

[ 03-03-2005, 09:30 PM: Message edited by: Vaskez ]

[Ilander]

I'm beginning to wonder why you follow me about so, Sir Vaskez. Do you want money or something? If so, you're in the wrong place, I'm just a broke college student who can't find a date and enjoys nuclear physics.

I'm a stud-puppy, though, Vaskie. You're just jealous of me and Heiro. [img]tongue.gif[/img]

Seriously, though...You can configure the program to run a very small amount of the time. You can set it to run for one hour a day, unless you're using your computer during that hour.

Let's face it, if your argument is that it's too wearing on your computer, you're a giant goofball.

Oh wait...you are a giant goofball.

I'm cool.

[ 03-03-2005, 09:39 PM: Message edited by: Ilander ]

[Vaskez]

I don't follow you about, you just tend to write stuff I can write sufficiently stupid answers to. And "giant goofball"? Is that supposed to be insulting? [img]tongue.gif[/img]

Stud-puppy? Does that mean you go around indulging in indecent acts with female dogs, or just ugly biatches? Apologies for the rudeness, couldn't resist [img]tongue.gif[/img]

My argument was not meant to be serious, just meant to delay the time I go to bed, because I hate going to bed in the evening (well ok night now) almost as much as I hate getting up in the morning.

[Hivetyrant]

Nice, I will download this when I get home

[Intrepid]

Originally posted by Vaskez: Nah, my processor needs its rest, it'll die sooner if I keep it in use all the time. There's only so many times capacitances can charge and discharge in its circuits! [img]tongue.gif[/img]

Well really, it's the actual processor that does most of the work, that is a mass of transistors, and they consist simply of masses of p-n junctions without any moving parts it'll far outlast you... maybe [img]smile.gif[/img]

As for the program, no thanks, i am using SETI and have been for a while now, i have contributed 1025 hours now and completed 252 data units, so i think i'll stick with that, i like the idea of distributed processing, so glad to hear there are more of these projects going.

Also, if you consider this a pm, could you send me some information as you mentioned above?
ok ok, i'll send a pm, i was just being lazy

[ 03-04-2005, 12:06 PM: Message edited by: Intrepid ]

[Ilander]

http://www.ligo.caltech.edu/LIGO_web...factsheet.html

is a great site on conceptually understanding the LIGO project and gravity waves.

[Vaskez]

Originally posted by Intrepid: quote: Originally posted by Vaskez: Nah, my processor needs its rest, it'll die sooner if I keep it in use all the time. There's only so many times capacitances can charge and discharge in its circuits! [img]tongue.gif[/img]

Well really, it's the actual processor that does most of the work, that is a mass of transistors, and they consist simply of masses of p-n junctions without any moving parts it'll far outlast you... maybe [img]smile.gif[/img]
[/QUOTE]Yes, thank you, I know what electronic circuits are made of [img]tongue.gif[/img] Charge builds up and drains in the connections between transistors (as a natural consequence of switching between a logical 1 and 0) - it's called parasitic capacitance. I was jokingly saying that those can only be charged so many times. p-n junctions occur in diodes IIRC correctly, they are called n-p-n or p-n-p in transistors, no?

[Harkoliar]

Originally posted by Intrepid: quote: Originally posted by Vaskez: Nah, my processor needs its rest, it'll die sooner if I keep it in use all the time. There's only so many times capacitances can charge and discharge in its circuits! [img]tongue.gif[/img]

Well really, it's the actual processor that does most of the work, that is a mass of transistors, and they consist simply of masses of p-n junctions without any moving parts it'll far outlast you... maybe [img]smile.gif[/img]

As for the program, no thanks, i am using SETI and have been for a while now, i have contributed 1025 hours now and completed 252 data units, so i think i'll stick with that, i like the idea of distributed processing, so glad to hear there are more of these projects going.

Also, if you consider this a pm, could you send me some information as you mentioned above?
ok ok, i'll send a pm, i was just being lazy [/QUOTE]interesting i heard about SETI from the news. some australian bloke was in the news for having his computer on for the whole year i think. contributed countless hours on his computer [img]smile.gif[/img]

[Lox]

Originally posted by Intrepid: Also, if you consider this a pm, could you send me some information as you mentioned above? ok ok, i'll send a pm, i was just being lazy

I too am interested in all things physic. I'm currently reading The Elegant Universe but have no one to discuss it with. :cry: Is three enough for a thread?