Stardust@home

[galaxyquest]

Just spotted a story on /. about a new project called Stardust@home.

This has been set up at Berkeley to look for dust particles in the returning sample from the Stardust mission (15 Jan).

Probably not BOINC and I doubt you get any points - hey you even have to pass an exam to be allowed to participate! But looks like fun and big kudos if you find a particle...

Pre-register to avaoid disappointment!

 

[galaxyquest]

As a Berkely project, why would it not use BOINC? Is it not DC in the classic set-it-and-forget-it sense that SETI began?

Saw no mention of BOINC on the web site. It is not an install-and-forget type project. If you are accepted (ie pass the test) it looks like you get to download a virtual microscope and are then sent pics of areas of the aerogel that you have to search looking for particles embedded in the aerogel.

Not a classic DC project in the conventional sense but distributed in the sense that lots of volunteers are needed - only this time they need your eyes!

Ideal for the TKC crowd I'd have thought - lots of mouse scrolling and Klicks (TM) ...

 

[galaxyquest]

Looks interesting, but I'd be wary about the accuracy of it? I mean, it's not a traditional DC project where the work unit is downloaded to your PC and (providing the PCs are stable) the results will be exactly the same between one PC and another.

There are 45 particles to find... What if the person who's doing it has tired eyes or no concentration because they're already done 100 of these units in a row, and they just miss the particle? That's 2% of the project's aim gone... and they'll never know which square the particle was in. What if people are scanning them as quickly as they can, to get more 'credit'?

What if they're looking for 45 particles and they end up with 500 reports, because people are over-zealous and don't really know what they're looking for?

Interesting, but I think it'll be a miracle if it works! Or maybe I'm just too cynical

Yes too cynical by half! More details of the validation/checking process in this article at NewScientistSpace - linky

There'll be no points only the kudos of naming a particle if you find one.

It is definitely not the sort of project for anyone who is impatient - so ideal for the likes of me!

Only posted to make folks aware - I know it is not a traditional DC project but then neither is TKC. At least this is doing something useful - and of course no one knows how many particles there are (maybe none at all) but they still have to be searched for.