what to talk about in DC presentation

[Fullmetal Chocobo]

I'm brainstorming a presentation that I have due next week for a class (college course during the summer). We have to do an informational presentation, 5-7 minutes long, and I've decided to do it over DC. I figure it will maybe get someone interested in it.

This presentation is going to be to the class, ~15 college students of varying classes (ie not all freshmen). And I'm not asking anyone to do this for me, by any means. Just looking for ideas, and I figure it could be an interesting topic.

So I'm thinking about the topics to cover during the presentation:
-projects
-successes thus far
-BOINC
-putting the computer that most of these kids have anyway to good use (and most don't have to pay for electricity either!)
-teams
-stats

 

[jonesthewine]

also worth mentioning is the theory behind DC, using the combined resources of tens of thousands of not-so-idle CPUs and GPUs and PS3s to process small chunks of a project, and the power of all of the thousands of contributing computers compared to one supercomputer.

 

[The Borg]

I agree with adding a bit about the theory behind it. That is what gets it going for me. I usually us an example calculating a prime number. 1 perons, 1 number at a time, 2 people, twice as fast, 3 people, ... you get the idea. Why prime - a lot of people can graspt the idea of what a prime is, and what would happen.

This distributed work leads to clustering and the control of vaste computer resourses, but in a far easier manner, but less control (relient on the end user).

Good luck.

 

[Philippart]

In may 2006, we learned about SETI in astronomics, the teacher quickly mentioned the @home project. This let me do a presentation on it for school and at the same time I got facinated by the idea and got addicted to DC. I started with rosetta and seti!

 

[Rudy Toody]

Always start any presentation with a joke to break the ice between you and your audience.

Yesterday, I dropped a rubber-band into my computer. Now it's making snap decisions!

That should get you an A+

 

[The Borg]

 

[Assimilator1]

Originally posted by: Rudy Toody
Always start any presentation with a joke to break the ice between you and your audience.

Yesterday, I dropped a rubber-band into my computer. Now it's making snap decisions!

That should get you an A+

:laugh:

Wth's a freshman anyway??

Seems to me between yourself & the others you have it covered, if I think of anything I'll LYK!.......... oh one extra thing, it's a chance for people to have a helping hand in cutting egde science where otherwise most of us would only watch/read about it.
SETI is the only way I'll ever be able to explore space (well ok maybe orbit@home too at some point).

 

[Fullmetal Chocobo]

I've got all my research done; now just filtering through stuff to figure out what to talk to DC n00bs about.

 

[petrusbroder]

Good luck and be cool ...

 

[somethingsketchy]

Good luck on the presentation, it'll be a great topic

 

[Fullmetal Chocobo]

Originally posted by: somethingsketchy
Good luck on the presentation, it'll be a great topic

Thanks. Presentation went okay. I was first person to be picked at random after all of the other people volunteered. Now it's time to start on my persuasive presentation. Something about DC as well.

 

[Assimilator1]

Let us know how you get on .

Btw when are you next on GWs?

 

[Fullmetal Chocobo]

Originally posted by: Assimilator1
Let us know how you get on .

Btw when are you next on GWs?

GW? Hopefully some this weekend. With this class though, I have almost no free time. Last week of the class is next week though, so GW time will increase after that. I believe Liz is gone Saturday, but maybe we can do some GW on Sunday?

 

[Assimilator1]

Doh!, I ended up not going on, PM me for the next session.

 

[Fullmetal Chocobo]

Originally posted by: Assimilator1
Doh!, I ended up not going on, PM me for the next session.

No worries. I missed it to, being at work all weekend. Now to start planning my persuasive presentation: "Utility companies should offer incentives for participants of Distributed Computing."

 

[Rudy Toody]

Originally posted by: Fullmetal Chocobo

Originally posted by: Assimilator1
Doh!, I ended up not going on, PM me for the next session.

No worries. I missed it to, being at work all weekend. Now to start planning my persuasive presentation: "Utility companies should offer incentives for participants of Distributed Computing."

Yep!

Something like the low rate for interruptible power that the aluminum smelters pay. If electricity power generation can't keep up with the demand, the smelters shut down production to allow the power to be used elsewhere.

So, if a DCer is willing to shut down during these periods, he should get the same low rate.