You Can Enlist Your Computer In Fight Against Cancer, AIDS.(INTERNET & TECHNOLOGY)(COMPUTERS MADE PLAIN)

Byline: Nancy Gondo

Want to help worthy causes without spending a dime? You can donate unused processing power on your personal computer.

With so-called distributed computing, research groups can tap your PC power when you're not using it. It's pooled with millions of other computers, creating a virtual supercomputer.

Researchers then can use that power to crunch complex problems. They can search for cures to diseases, or for life in space.

In most cases, getting started is as easy as picking a good cause and downloading a small piece of software. Most of the donation programs are careful not to suck up computing power when you need it.

These programs typically act like a screensaver. They only come on when you haven't touched a key or moved the mouse for more than 20 minutes.

There are many causes that you can support this way. For example, you and your PC can help tackle cancer. Intel Corp. and United Devices Inc. have created a cancer research project using distributed computing.