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If distributed computing had a fraction of time on the millions of GPUs mining cryptocurrencies, I can't imagine how close we'd be to curing disease and finding

by kawfey 9y ago

If distributed computing had a fraction of time on the millions of GPUs mining cryptocurrencies, I can't imagine how close we'd be to curing disease and finding ET.

ekianjo 9y ago
You dont just cure disease by doing protein folding simulations. thats just a very tiny part of drug development.
- jonknee 9y ago
  I'd rather be a tiny way close to new cures than a more pointless hashing for blockchains.
  - ekianjo 9y ago
    Many things are pointless if you start evaluating things by one's standards. Let the market decide what they should focus on. Otherwise, you can always rely on government funding for less-market-focused initiatives like fundamental research.
  - nomel 9y ago
    > pointless hashing for blockchains Surely there's a point to the person performing the hashing since the action takes a significant amount of time, resources, and money.
andrepd 9y ago
And achieving world peace and developing nuclear fusion power. Knock off the hyperbole.
deleted 9y ago
[deleted]
nicwilson 9y ago
Time for a cryptocurrency for F@H?
- asfgionio 9y ago
  Gridcoin is the biggest I'm aware of. Most people who mine it (that I've spoken to) think of it as a way of subsidizing their hardware and electricity, not as a get-rich-quick scheme. Since it lets you choose what project to work on, you can choose one that you approve of and that is well-suited to your hardware. I was considering buying some old servers to mine it. I'd have pretty much broken even back when it was $0.10/grc, but it would have taken me ages to make back my investment.
- tramGG 9y ago
  Relevant: https://golem.network/ https://golem.network/
- maaarghk 9y ago
  quick search reveals these: https://curecoin.net/ https://curecoin.net/ https://foldingcoin.net/ https://foldingcoin.net/ pretty cool idea! if you're going to do difficult maths for proof of work it might as well be useful I suppose?
  - n-exploit 9y ago
    I was on the Curecoin team as of last year. It's a neat project, but they weren't able to manage a working relationship with Stanford. There is a unique opportunity here to use digital currencies to fund scientific research through the use of a reward mechanism and distributed ledgers. Our project is hoping to take a similar idea to scale (research/project-based "work) by utilizing open datasets posted on decentralized technology. We hope to build relationships with institutions, non-profits, and the public sector to track the economic and social value of campaigns similar to the Folding@Home and Seti@Home projects, but with a capacity to on-board projects as they appear. https://vitae.foundation https://vitae.foundation
    - 9y ago
larrydag 9y ago
I've thought of setting up a pool for deep learning. I think there could be an interest in using GPUs for other than coin mining.
aje403 9y ago
Crypto is the pinnacle of human dogshit, but we'd probably be no closer to curing disease or finding ET

by kawfey 9y ago

If distributed computing had a fraction of time on the millions of GPUs mining cryptocurrencies, I can't imagine how close we'd be to curing disease and finding ET.

ekianjo 9y ago

You dont just cure disease by doing protein folding simulations. thats just a very tiny part of drug development.

jonknee 9y ago
I'd rather be a tiny way close to new cures than a more pointless hashing for blockchains.
- ekianjo 9y ago
  Many things are pointless if you start evaluating things by one's standards. Let the market decide what they should focus on. Otherwise, you can always rely on government funding for less-market-focused initiatives like fundamental research.
- nomel 9y ago
  > pointless hashing for blockchains Surely there's a point to the person performing the hashing since the action takes a significant amount of time, resources, and money.

andrepd 9y ago

And achieving world peace and developing nuclear fusion power. Knock off the hyperbole.

deleted 9y ago

[deleted]

nicwilson 9y ago

Time for a cryptocurrency for F@H?

asfgionio 9y ago
Gridcoin is the biggest I'm aware of. Most people who mine it (that I've spoken to) think of it as a way of subsidizing their hardware and electricity, not as a get-rich-quick scheme. Since it lets you choose what project to work on, you can choose one that you approve of and that is well-suited to your hardware. I was considering buying some old servers to mine it. I'd have pretty much broken even back when it was $0.10/grc, but it would have taken me ages to make back my investment.
tramGG 9y ago
Relevant: https://golem.network/ https://golem.network/
maaarghk 9y ago
quick search reveals these: https://curecoin.net/ https://curecoin.net/ https://foldingcoin.net/ https://foldingcoin.net/ pretty cool idea! if you're going to do difficult maths for proof of work it might as well be useful I suppose?
- n-exploit 9y ago
  I was on the Curecoin team as of last year. It's a neat project, but they weren't able to manage a working relationship with Stanford. There is a unique opportunity here to use digital currencies to fund scientific research through the use of a reward mechanism and distributed ledgers. Our project is hoping to take a similar idea to scale (research/project-based "work) by utilizing open datasets posted on decentralized technology. We hope to build relationships with institutions, non-profits, and the public sector to track the economic and social value of campaigns similar to the Folding@Home and Seti@Home projects, but with a capacity to on-board projects as they appear. https://vitae.foundation https://vitae.foundation
  - 9y ago

larrydag 9y ago

I've thought of setting up a pool for deep learning. I think there could be an interest in using GPUs for other than coin mining.

aje403 9y ago

Crypto is the pinnacle of human dogshit, but we'd probably be no closer to curing disease or finding ET