Distributed Computing is a method of computer processing in which different parts of a
program, or different portions of data, are processing simultaneously on two or more computers that are communicating with each other over a network, or through the internet. By downloading and installing project software, you can donate your idle processor time to a worthy scientific goal.

The two most widely known distributed computing projects are Folding@home and Seti@home.

folding@home
models proteins - to understand protein folding,
misfolding, and related diseases.  The project has and continues to
produce many results and published.

seti@home
analyzes radio telescope data for signs of signals sent by intelligent
life.  It hasn't found any yet, but if it ever does, it'll be one of
the biggest discoveries of all time.  Seti@home is a part of BOINC
(Berkeley Open Infrastructure for Network Computing).  When you
download the BOINC software, you can choose to have your computer
process data for seti@home or one (or more) of many other projects.  Once you join the SGU team at BOINC, work units you do for seti@home or any other BOINC project will be credited to the team.

Einstein@Home:
This project searches for spinning neutron stars (also called pulsars)
using data from the LIGO and GEO gravitational wave detectors.
Einstein@Home is a World Year of Physics 2005 project supported by the
American Physical Society (APS) and by a number of international
organizations.

LHC@HOME:
This project runs simulations of particles traveling in CERN's new accelerator, the Large Hadron Collider Project Hom

Rosetta@home:
This project works to determine the 3-dimensional shapes of proteins in
research that may ultimately lead to finding cures for some major human
diseases.

Climateprediction.net
The aim of climateprediction.net is to investigate the approximations
that have to be made in state-of-the-art climate models.  Doing so will
allow more accurate modeling of future climate change.
Project homepage.

The World Computing Grid

Project Home Page

The World Computing Grid is the home for these projects:

The Clean Energy Project
Nutritious Rice for the World
Help Conquer Cancer
Discovering Dengue Drugs – Together
Human Proteome Folding - Phase 2 Project
FightAIDS@Home Project