Your idle computer could help crack the virus' secrets

A low-cost method of super-computing, which has been used in the search for alien civilisations, is being adopted by a Hong Kong-based company to aid research on Sars.

The project, launched by Eberhard Schoneburg, a computer scientist and chief executive officer of Artificial Life, will ask computer users in Hong Kong and overseas to volunteer some of their machines' spare time.

The idea is to link up thousands of PCs worldwide through the Internet and pool their resources to generate enough speed and computing power to rival multimillion-dollar supercomputers.

'[Researchers] need massive computing resources as some problems about Sars are often very complex,' Mr Schoneburg said.

The success of the non-profit project, which will be made available to researchers who require increased computer resources, would depend on its ability to attract participants. Mr Schoneburg said several hundred volunteers in the next few weeks would be enough to kick-start the project.

Users will only need to download a software program, and keep their computer switched on and connected to the Internet when it is idle.