BootsnAll Travel Network



BBC Climate Change Experiment

Another hiatus in my SE Asia tales. I have to pick up the thread from the Togean Islands, looking through my (badly) copied journal entries and partly write from memory and because I’m currently editing my NaNoWriMo novel, I can’t get back to it until April—unless I feel like taking a break from talking dinosaurs.

Meanwhile, here’s something completely different:

The BBC and a consortium of scientists, lead by a research group in Oxford, have embarked on the biggest Climate Change Experiment ever undertaken.

Following the example of Seti@Home, the specially customized BOINC software allegedly allows you to run a climate prediction model in its entirety on your PC—in the background.

Allegedly.

Every time my ADSL modem hangs up, the model goes into a sulk and re-sets itself to Dec 1st 1920. Given that it is supposed to run until Dec 1st 2080, which would take it until February 2007 (yes, almost a whole year—if it’s runing smoothly), I am not optimistic that it will ever near completion.

I’m not willing to run this machine 24/7 with a permanent internet connection, tear down my security setup or back up the model continuously so that I can restore it. I don’t even have a CD burner. So shoot me.

This is a worthy experiment. It is important. Tens of thousands of data points are needed in order to arrive at a reasonable prediction, because in the end it all comes down to cluster analysis. Every individual PC counts. Together, they are more powerful than any supercomputer.

But count me out. Sorry.

However, it doesn’t mean that you can’t jon in—wherever you are in the world. These days, superfast PCs and always-on internet is common, it’s just not what I have at home. If you do, think about it.

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