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Steve C
  • Steve C
  • Lagrange, IN
  • United States

concerned citizen,

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What can our computers be doing while we're not using them?

(Online?, offline?, 24/7?, 1/7?)
There's a lot of potential energy out there that we could be using. Have you found a good use for your computer?

Topics: "Last frontier" (mind) A b a better world activism computers volunteer
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  • Rhona Pavis 50+

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    Aug 1 2012: If you have a laptop and you close it, while not using it as a computer, you could use it to hold a flower vase or a bowl of fruit.

    • Steve C

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      Aug 2 2012: Good out-of-the-box thinking!
      Many times "target practice" has come to mind!
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    Salim Solaiman 50+

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    Aug 1 2012: Heard sometime back that there are some projects where the capacities of such computers which are in the same network are combined together to create a supercomputer kind of thing to be used in complex R&D works.
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    Krisztián Pintér 200+

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    TED Translator
    Aug 1 2012: BOINC

    • Steve C

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      Aug 2 2012: Sark leans back - wide-eyed, "Nice!"

      (sorry for late replies, long, hard work day yesterday!)
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    James Zhang 30+

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    Aug 1 2012: Downloading updates.

    I wish this were true for my smartphone. Why can't it download all those updates while I was asleep or while it was charging or something?
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    Stewart Gault 30+

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    Aug 1 2012: SETI

    • Steve C

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      Aug 2 2012: I've thought about that one.
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    Gerald O'brian 50+

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    Aug 1 2012: It seems to be watching a lot of porn.

    • Steve C

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      Aug 2 2012: ROFL - thanks Gerald. I did not see that one coming.

  • Barry Palmer 50+

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    Aug 1 2012: Do a google search on "using idle computer time" and you will find sites that can use your computer.

    Also, there are applications that turn your computer into a telephone answering system with many features.
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    Debra Smith 200+

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    Aug 1 2012: Maybe we could enter a list of our own problems we have not yet solved and they could greet us each morning when we turn them on - with a list of alternatives we could consider trying so that we might make personal progress in surpassing our own mental log jams.?

    • Barry Palmer 50+

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      Aug 1 2012: Hi Debra,

      When human-level artificial intelligence (AI) becomes available, this will be one of the most common usages. In order to provide you with a list it will first have a conversation with you to determine your capabilities and limitations. I can envision a point where we will consider our personal AI assistant as part of the family.

      When super-human AI becomes available, every CEO will consult with one or several before establishing priorities or making any major decision.
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        Debra Smith 200+

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        Aug 1 2012: That is REALLY exciting Barry! I wish I could work on things like this. I got accepted for an MA in Human Factors and my prof went to another country before we could continue. I love VR too. I did not even know that this was in the works! Thank you so much for sharing this!
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        James Zhang 30+

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        Aug 1 2012: The smart personal AI assistant is probably going to happen in like 10-20 years. We already have the existing technologies now. I think one of the most important technologies to come out now was Siri, the really smart voice recognition.

    • Steve C

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      Aug 2 2012: That's a good idea, but it would take a computer smarter than mine! (It's basically what I do with online Q&A sites, so people are the main source of interaction there. I was meaning just the present-day computer crunching numbers, but that idea can change too.)
      Thank you.
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