Distributed-computing projects have already let altruistic PC users tell their otherwise idle machines to cast about for extraterrestrial life, search for undiscovered planets, and test Einstein’s theory of gravity. Now a new endeavor, Africa@Home, is recruiting computers to make sense of malaria.
Project officials—including researchers at the University of Geneva—are hoping to get thousands of volunteer machines running a program that simulates the spread of malaria across Africa. That model could help scientists better understand the impact of possible treatments for the disease, according to Africa@Home. —Brock Read
