I listened to a Podcast last night, from Cern. The boffins are busying themselves, making ready for the turning on ceremony and finding new things to say about the facility for the entertainment of those of us who care. The delightful Brian Cox (Please watch this if you haven't already) described a room that houses a museum of personal computers. He talked of the Spectrum, the Vic 20, The Commodore 64 and BBC Model B. All stepping stones to this, present Clarkeian miracle on my desk... I am still engaged in one computing task that started with the Spectrum and continues to this day. I began donating some of the computer power harnessed by Sinclair and Sugar to SETI.
They asked for anyone with a computer to participate in number crunching when idle.. I couldn't do it with the Spectrum but gamely tried. I sent off for the cassette and duly received a thick dossier and more software...
Later, when I finally set up an internet connection, the first task was to honour my intention. I installed a very simple screensaver that utilised my computer's downtime for simple arithmetic.
I now subscribe to BOINC which allows for more than one deserving cause to be aided by our frankly vast computer resources when we are absent from the keyboard.
My machine currently looks for alien intelligence, plots weather and looks for Neutron Stars.
Somehow, it seemed apposite that my 14 year cycle to Thornley be celebrated by my discovery of this pair of Hermaphrodytes..
Completely and enchantingly oblivious to the wonders that concern me. Choosing to share DNA although they really don't have to and so far removed from the concept of a Gold Medal Performance in the Velodrome that it humbles us all....
Let's hear it for the Gastropodium.
Hip Hip..... Hurrah!
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