» Wed Sep 14, 2011 9:11 pm Science and Innovation Minister John Day today launched theSkyNet, an inclusive science project giving West Australians the unique opportunity to help discover more about the Universe.
TheSkyNet is a community computing project encouraging people to let their computers’ spare processing power be used to help interpret signals from distant galaxies, stars and other anomalies which arrive at Earth in the form of radio waves.
“TheSkyNet is a citizen science project allowing the general public to work together with scientists and play a role in producing real results,” Mr Day said.
“By connecting hundreds and thousands of computers together through the internet, it will be possible to simulate a single machine capable of processing signals from space so they can be used by scientists to support their work.
“The State Government supports a number of initiatives to assist the growth of a vibrant and thriving world-class radio astronomy sector in WA and this project brings the sector into an exciting new phase.”
The Minister said the project was jointly devised by the International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research (ICRAR), Curtin University and the Department of Commerce.
“TheSkyNet launch is particularly timely as it will raise community awareness of radio astronomy and science in general, as we enter the final stage of site selection for the $2billion Square Kilometre Array radio telescope,” he said.
“If this bid is successful, then the world’s biggest radio telescope will be built at the Murchison Radio-astronomy Observatory, a uniquely radio-quiet area 330km north-east of Geraldton.”
TheSkyNet is a community computing project encouraging people to let their computers’ spare processing power be used to help interpret signals from distant galaxies, stars and other anomalies which arrive at Earth in the form of radio waves.
“TheSkyNet is a citizen science project allowing the general public to work together with scientists and play a role in producing real results,” Mr Day said.
“By connecting hundreds and thousands of computers together through the internet, it will be possible to simulate a single machine capable of processing signals from space so they can be used by scientists to support their work.
“The State Government supports a number of initiatives to assist the growth of a vibrant and thriving world-class radio astronomy sector in WA and this project brings the sector into an exciting new phase.”
The Minister said the project was jointly devised by the International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research (ICRAR), Curtin University and the Department of Commerce.
“TheSkyNet launch is particularly timely as it will raise community awareness of radio astronomy and science in general, as we enter the final stage of site selection for the $2billion Square Kilometre Array radio telescope,” he said.
“If this bid is successful, then the world’s biggest radio telescope will be built at the Murchison Radio-astronomy Observatory, a uniquely radio-quiet area 330km north-east of Geraldton.”
http://www.theskynet.org/.
Mr Day was joined by WA Chief Scientist Professor Lyn Beazley and Lord Mayor Lisa Scaffidi to be the first to log-on to theSkyNet and officially launch the initiative.
