Folding Proteins: Someone's Idea of Having Fun?

Join us, and soon no protein will be left unfolded!

For those of you who don't know, protein folding is to some people what drinking beer and playing video games is to me. Who are these strange, most likely mole-like people and where do they live? Who knows. But we do know that by their powers combined, they have created the largest distributed computing network in the world through the Folding@home project.

In an attempt to use the human brain's natural 3d puzzle solving skills to improving folding algorithms, researchers from the University of Washington (boo ya!) have released a "game" called Foldit. Now you too can use all of your extra spare time to participate in Science's favorite hobby. You know you don't have anything better to do.