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Setback in SETI@home Not Enough to Stop Searching


[From O’Grady’s PowerPage]

Due to a much higher than expected number of volunteers, the SETI@home project has been sending out the same data packets to participants, therefore wasting the extra CPU cycles we have so generously donated. Originally, the project figured on only 150,000 volunteers. Project director David Anderson explains that the influx of 500,000 volunteers since the project’s unveiling last month has led to a “shortage of [hard disk] storage space, computing power, and manpower.” However, don’t let this minor setback discourage your extraterrestrial searching. Sun Microsystems has donated workstations that should correct the problem and SETI@home plans to release new client software that should fix most bugs. So, be patient and everything should be running smoothly soon! In the meantime, learn more about this SETI@home problem from Wired News or Slashdot. Also, show some team spirit and join the PowerPage SETI team.

By Jason O'Grady

Founded the PowerPage in 1995.