From: Adam <""4thwormcastfromthemolehill\"{at}the field.near
the bridge">

R U man enough?

Is your machine?

http://bbc.cpdn.org/help.php#suitable

"You need:

    * a broadband connection to the Internet, although the data rate
(speed) of that connection is not important
    * 0.6GB (600 megabytes) of free space on your hard disk drive –
check this by opening Windows Explorer, right-clicking on your computer
hard drive (often labelled C:) and selecting 'Properties'
    * in total at least 512MB of RAM (memory) – see how much you have at
the same time as you check your processor type
    * a processor at least as powerful as a 1.6GHz Intel Pentium 4 (a
typical PC setup about 3–4 years ago) – you can check this by
right-clicking on the My Computer icon on your desktop, and then selecting
'Properties'.

Laptop computers may get very hot running the experiment, because it is
processor intensive and they have less cooling capacity than desktop
computers. You are advised not to run the experiment on a laptop.

Can I use Linux or a Mac?

Many Linux kernels are suitable. If you are running Linux, you can download
a Linux version of the software. After the download, you will need to
'chmod u+rx bbcclimate.sh', then './bbcclimate.sh' to install.

Unfortunately the Apple Mac is not yet supported for the BBC Climate Change
Experiment. You can though install OS X compatible climate experiments from
climateprediction.net.

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Is the download safe and secure?

It is based on widely used software (called BOINC) and has been extensively
tested to ensure participants are not vulnerable to viruses and that the
data returned to Oxford University cannot be tampered with.

My computer is using 100% of its CPU power and the fan's on full – is that OK?

The climate model is a complex program and takes as much processing power
as you have to spare. Under such conditions, it's normal for the cooling
fan to run more than usual and perhaps even continuously.

The risk of overheating is minimal. If you are at all concerned (or even if
just dislike the noise):

    * You can 'suspend' the experiment via the Project tab of the
Climate Experiment Manager and 'resume' it later.
    * You can adjust the settings so it only runs between certain hours
or when you are not using the PC
    * You might like carefully to vacuum clean the fan intake to improve
air flow.

If the experiment badly affects your normal use of the computer, read the
advice in – Can I pull out of the experiment at any time?

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Is the experiment a screensaver?

The experiment is just a number-crunching application. It runs in the
background all the time you are logged in.

The download also installs a screensaver on your computer that will appear
on your screen if the mouse and keyboard go unused for a few minutes.

The screensaver is independent of the experiment application and you can
choose to remove or replace it (just like any other Windows screensaver)
without affecting your experimental results.

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What does the screensaver show?

A spinning globe will appear reflecting the climate your computer has
calculated for your Earth at the point you have reached in the timescale,
somewhere between the year 1920 and 2080.

You can set options to show surface temperature, snow cover and three types
of cloud. You can adjust your view of the globe to hover above a particular
line of latitude. See also – See your climate model working.

Other information in the display shows your progress through the experiment.

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