What is Einstein@Home?
Well, according to their own web site:
Einstein@home is
a program that uses your computer's idle time to search for spinning neutron
stars (also called pulsars) using data from the LIGO
and GEO gravitational
wave detectors. Einstein@home
is a World Year of Physics
2005 project supported by the American Physical
Society (APS) and by a number of international organizations.
You put a program on your computer that receives data from Einstein@Home. When you are not using your computer, your computer analyzes the data and sends the results back to Einstein@Home. Basically, they are looking for pulsars. Why? I don't know!? What do I look like, a astrophysics geek? NO! I'm bored! If you want to know why, check out the about TEAM: Brian.
Why do they call it Einstein@Home? Well, the @Home part comes from the software that they use and the fact that it is a distributed network kind of thing. Well, not really. It really comes from the fact that a SETI project called SETI@Home first came up with the idea and created the software to do it. (I think they did, anyway. Anyway, they were the 'killer app' of distributed networks.) The other projects that use the software just kind of pick up on the @Home thing. The Einstein part comes from..... well...... I don't know!? What do I look like, a astrophysics geek? NO! I'm bored! If you want to know why, check out the about TEAM: Brian.
Anyway, check out the Einstein@Home website for more info on them.