# A worthy cause? Cancer research... **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 9, 2001, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-worthy-cause-cancer-research/64826 "2001-05-09T01:35:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![AbbySthrnAccent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/eb9ed0/32.png) [@AbbySthrnAccent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AbbySthrnAccent)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2001, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-worthy-cause-cancer-research/64826/21 "2001-08-05T22:53:54Z")
Not to my knowledge teams get points that can be awarded prizes. I’m not sure what frogstein did, but you don’t have to sign up for prizes. I didn’t when I set up our family team. Abby ---
**Author:** ![saepiroth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5ac83/32.png) [@saepiroth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saepiroth)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2001, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-worthy-cause-cancer-research/64826/22 "2001-08-05T22:59:05Z")
oops- make that 28’th. coldfire, i think teams are so it appeals more to human nature. people just, as a base desire, prefer to compete to some degree rather than just give stuff away. the teams make it so that people can say “we’re higher in rank than you! nananannanananah!” rather than “here, united devices; take these cycles please!”. it just appeals more to human nature. my download just finished. i will shortly be #28! ---
**Author:** ![JadedNaive](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/59ef9b/32.png) [@JadedNaive](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JadedNaive)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2001, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-worthy-cause-cancer-research/64826/23 "2001-08-06T04:38:26Z")
I think the team thing is also to make us feel committed. “I have to keep my computer occupied with this or I’ll let down my team” sort of thing. No one wants to be the weakest link. It also increases your sense of achievement to see how much your team has accomplished, as opposed to just your own stats. But so far as I know, it’s just psychological motivation. ---
**Author:** ![Mnementh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/898d66/32.png) [@Mnementh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mnementh)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2001, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-worthy-cause-cancer-research/64826/24 "2001-08-06T13:16:30Z")
I’m in. The thing isn’t interfering with what I do at ALL, it’s very quietly going about it’s business without slowing down games or anything else, so I set it to run all the time. And my computer is on almost constantly. I’m helping cancer research. I feel… cool. ---
**Author:** ![Coldfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@Coldfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coldfire)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2001, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-worthy-cause-cancer-research/64826/25 "2001-08-06T13:20:55Z")
Same with mine. It runs in the background, and doesn’t slow down anything. I have a PIII 550 MHz with 384 MB RAM, to give you an idea. Plenty of mem, but not a top notch machine apart from that. ---
**Author:** ![Trion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ccd318/32.png) [@Trion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trion)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2001, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-worthy-cause-cancer-research/64826/26 "2001-08-06T13:34:45Z")
I’ve been running this program for about a week now. If I can figure out how to join the team, I’ll do so tonight. I don’t have very many points though. I’m running it on the World’s Slowest Machine. ---
**Author:** ![saepiroth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5ac83/32.png) [@saepiroth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saepiroth)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2001, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-worthy-cause-cancer-research/64826/27 "2001-08-06T19:49:59Z")
well, i just upladed my first unit task three hours ago. after 15 hours of computing, it did an analysis of Superoxide dismutase (i wrote down the name) sending one unit of analysis to the cancer people and adding 96 points and 15:13:56 to the Straight Dope team coffers. i have the program running at all times. if it starts slowing my games by a significant amount i might turn it off when i play, but maybe not. anyway, i just checked the progress on it and it says that it got one “hit”, which i assumes means it found an anti-‘VEGF protein’ drug. but that reminds me- what are the “conformers” that it counts every few minutes? and what are “de novo” structures? i know it means “the new” structures, but what are those it refers to? ---
**Author:** ![Jane\_D\_oh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/839c29/32.png) [@Jane\_D\_oh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jane_D_oh)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2001, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-worthy-cause-cancer-research/64826/28 "2001-08-06T20:49:15Z")
I just joined. One more SDMB team member. Do we get t-shirts? ---
**Author:** ![Shayna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shayna/32/17976_2.png) [@Shayna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shayna)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2001, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-worthy-cause-cancer-research/64826/29 "2001-08-06T21:01:26Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by saepiroth \* > \*\*but that reminds me- what are the “conformers” that it counts every few minutes? and what are “de novo” structures? i know it means “the new” structures, but what are those it refers to? \*\* From the UD website ( [http://members.ud.com/vypc/cancer/think.htm](http://members.ud.com/vypc/cancer/think.htm) ) > [@](#): > > **Conformers** —THINK explores the 3-dimensional shapes each molecule might adopt. Each new shape of the molecules may help the right parts of the molecule interact with the protein target. THINK does this very fast-so fast your monitor can’t show every molecule or conformation. This is why the conformation number is moving so rapidly. The total number of conformations differs molecule to molecule. Some molecules may have more bonds or flexibility, and thus will have more conformers. > > \ > > **De novo structures** —Sometimes a molecule may have extra potential if it’s slightly altered in some way. THINK considers small variations or atom substitutions to increase the number of molecules being evaluated. These new altered molecules are de novo derivatives, or structures, which are also tracked on the screensaver. And I’m so jealous that you’ve gotten a hit already. I have the program running on 4 computers; mine at home, mine at work, my boss’s and my assistant’s (and I’ve registered them with the SD team -AMSchwartz & GZwinak, FYI), and no hits anywhere yet. ☹ My stats (which haven’t been updated on the Team page yet) are: Results Returned: 2 Points Generated: 162 Total CPU Time: 0:000:14:57:32 Avg. Points Per Hour of CPU Time: 10.82968 Avg. Points Per Result: 81.00000 Avg. CPU Time Per Result: 0:000:07:28:46 Avg. Results Per Calendar Day: 2.00000 Avg. Points Per Calendar Day: 162.00000 Avg. CPU Time Per Calendar Day: 0:000:14:57:32 Last Result Returned (UTC): 08/06/2001 13:57:30 [7+ hour(s) ago] Device Installs: 2 ---
**Author:** ![Shayna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shayna/32/17976_2.png) [@Shayna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shayna)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2001, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-worthy-cause-cancer-research/64826/30 "2001-08-06T21:26:42Z")
And now it occurs to me that I simply should’ve just installed the program on their computers using my ID so I’d be registered with 4 devices and get credit for all 4 of them, since technically they aren’t participating, themselves. Hmmmmm, I wonder if there’s any way to re-register those under my name. If anyone knows if that’s possible, please let me know. Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![AbbySthrnAccent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/eb9ed0/32.png) [@AbbySthrnAccent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AbbySthrnAccent)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2001, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-worthy-cause-cancer-research/64826/31 "2001-08-06T21:39:25Z")
Results Returned 219 Points Generated 24,205 Total CPU Time 0:093:20:38:56 Avg. Points Per Hour of CPU Time 10.74513 Avg. Points Per Result 110.52511 Avg. CPU Time Per Result 0:000:10:17:10 Avg. Results Per Calendar Day 1.76613 Avg. Points Per Calendar Day 195.20161 Avg. CPU Time Per Calendar Day 0:000:18:09:59.0000000000073 Last Result Returned 08/06/2001 01:29:04 Device Installs 1 Lest ye be discouraged, I volunteered my computer April 4th. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2001, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-worthy-cause-cancer-research/64826/32 "2001-08-06T21:49:52Z")
I also saw it on **Abby** ’s site. Cool idea and I’m a sucker for sick kids. Heart disease will kill me before cancer, but maybe it’ll do my kids some good. ---
**Author:** ![saepiroth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5ac83/32.png) [@saepiroth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saepiroth)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2001, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-worthy-cause-cancer-research/64826/33 "2001-08-06T23:16:02Z")
heheheheh… i actually now have two hits, and as far as i can tell, this unit cycle for “VEGF protien” is going to take 7 hours less than the cycle for “superoxide dismutase”. [singsong voice] Haaa haaaa hah ha haaaa! i cuuurrred caaaancer and youuuuu diiiidn’t! [/singsong voice] jeez- i am such a competitive bastard. ---
**Author:** ![NutWrench](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nutwrench/32/20193_2.png) [@NutWrench](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NutWrench)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2001, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-worthy-cause-cancer-research/64826/34 "2001-08-07T00:29:40Z")
I’ve been running the UD program for a couple of months now. It’s very good at sharing resources with the rest of my computer, so I just let it run all the time. Like the SETI@Home program, whether or not you get any “hits” depends on the work unit you’ve downloaded, which I guess is random chance. The UD agent will prune away molecules that don’t look promising, so a work unit could finish in as little as 2-3 hours. Other work units may take a day or more to complete as the program exhausts every possible combination. –Nut _When you die, if you get a choice between going to regular heaven or pie heaven, choose pie heaven. It might be a trick, but if it’s not, mmmmmmm, boy._ ---
**Author:** ![Henry\_Weinhard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ea5d25/32.png) [@Henry\_Weinhard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Henry_Weinhard)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2001, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-worthy-cause-cancer-research/64826/35 "2001-08-07T03:46:17Z")
I once had 5 hits in a single work unit. Bow before me, mortals! 🙂 -Henry ---
**Author:** ![Gozu\_Tashoya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/7993a0/32.png) [@Gozu\_Tashoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gozu_Tashoya)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2001, 8:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-worthy-cause-cancer-research/64826/36 "2001-08-07T08:18:45Z")
**Shayna** , it should be a simple matter of uninstalling the program on their computers and reinstalling it with your account info. Or so I’d imagine. And… Woohoo! I have 5 hits! But, um, I haven’t read through everything. What, exactly, is a hit? ---
**Author:** ![Trion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ccd318/32.png) [@Trion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trion)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2001, 11:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-worthy-cause-cancer-research/64826/37 "2001-08-07T11:27:48Z")
My Stats: Results Returned: 9 Points Generated: 614 Total CPU Time: 0:006:06:24:51 Avg. Points Per Hour of CPU Time: 4.08206 Avg. Points Per Result: 68.22222 Avg. CPU Time Per Result: 0:000:16:42:46 Avg. Results Per Calendar Day: 1.00000 Avg. Points Per Calendar Day: 68.22222 Avg. CPU Time Per Calendar Day: 0:000:16:42:46 Last Result Returned (UTC) 08/06/2001 21:15:29 [14+ hour(s) ago] Device Installs 1 All Your Base Are Belong To Us ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2001, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-worthy-cause-cancer-research/64826/38 "2001-08-07T12:50:39Z")
Do we get any prizes if we win any promo’s? Do you get any additional benefit from being the starter of the group? ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2001, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-worthy-cause-cancer-research/64826/39 "2001-08-07T20:58:57Z")
When I signed up it did a sacn of my system and gave me a rating of 52 - I though I’d do better - very close to 100 (or even over it) - I have a 1 GHz Athlon. The I looked at the system they were compareing it to and it was a high end P4. I still couldn’t beleive it gave me such a low rating as the p4 is slower then a same speed athlon in most apps. When it went to work and submitted a set my rating jumped to 74 - that I can accept. ---
**Author:** ![Shayna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shayna/32/17976_2.png) [@Shayna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shayna)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2001, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-worthy-cause-cancer-research/64826/40 "2001-08-08T01:11:21Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by KKBattousai \* > \*\ ***Shayna** , it should be a simple matter of uninstalling the program on their computers and reinstalling it with your account info. Or so I’d imagine. > > And… > > Woohoo! I have 5 hits! But, um, I haven’t read through everything. What, exactly, is a hit? \*\* Thanks, **KK**. I figured that much out yesterday, but I had a HELL of a time getting the device to reinstall and register on one of the workstations, so I left the other one alone until I could solve the problem. Turns out it was only a problem with the UD server connection, so once I got the one machine uninstalled and re-registered to me, I did the same for the other. I now have 4 devices registered to me. 🙂 As to what a hit is, from the same link I posted above: > [@](#): > > **Hits** —When a molecular conformation docks successfully and triggers an interaction with the protein, it registers as a “hit.” Hits have different levels of strength, but any one hit may be the one that will ultimately lead to a cure. All hits are recorded, ranked for strength of interaction, and filed for the next stage of the project. Here are my current stats: Statistics Last Updated: 08/08/2001 00:15:00 (UTC) Results Returned: 5 Points Generated: 390 Total CPU Time: 0:001:12:19:44 Avg. Points Per Hour of CPU Time: 10.73526 Avg. Points Per Result: 78.00000 Avg. CPU Time Per Result: 0:000:07:15:57 Avg. Results Per Calendar Day: 1.66667 Avg. Points Per Calendar Day: 130.00000 Avg. CPU Time Per Calendar Day: 0:000:12:06:35 Last Result Returned (UTC) 08/07/2001 23:02:02 Device Installs: 4 > [@](#): > > _Originally posted by Henry Weinhard_ > > \*\*Bwahahaha! > > I once had 5 hits in a single work unit. Bow before me, mortals!\*\* You won’t be laughing quite so hard when you read [this thread](http://forum.ud.com/ubbcgi/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=4&t=000528) from the UD message boards. Read it and **weep**! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-worthy-cause-cancer-research/64826.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-worthy-cause-cancer-research/64826.md?page=3)