The cause is a good one. We donate our excess CPU cycles, to perform complex mathematical calculations, which furthers research into mutant proteins, such as those believed to cause Alzheimers, various forms of cancer, Mad cow disease, and others.
Stanford University, are the ones who set his up as a competition, to encourage rivalry, and it was a great idea. Not only do you contribute to science, but you can measure your efforts, against those around the world, in an almost real time fashion.
We are NOT competing with DU and KOS... they think that they're competing with us. We're trying to get to the top 100, they're still muddling about around #6000, and think that we're just a bunch of befuddled old conservatives, who accidentally found computers, and a worthwhile program.
Stanford can't afford to buy their own computers?
That makes it even more sleezy. This must be fun for the lefties at Stanford, they can use CPU time and meanwhile pit left against right. Lovely.
I see it as a complete waste of time and money. The last thing I want to do is donate free CPU cycles to some liberal scumbag college that is also a waste of time and money. You would think by now with the "massive computing power" they have at their disposal, they would have found what they're looking for.