This post was published 5 years 9 months 12 days ago. Therefore, it may well be out of date. Do not reply on the contents of this post being accurate. backbytes article Indefinite Particle (27.4.06) explains what has gone wrong with the climate model project that the BBC’s been promoting.
The model, which simulates conditions from 1920, wasn’t producing enough sulphate particles. Apparently these troublesome little chaps are a by-product of industrialisation and as they reflect light they consequently have a part to play in global warming (or cooling, of course).
The data collected from the models run on all the distributed PCs involved appears to have fallen short of actual historical measurements taken. So basically the calculations in the model were wrong. According to backbytes everyone’s program has been reset back to where we were two months ago.
backbytes goes on to suggest other parameters that might yet prove influential. When the model reaches 2006 we may have to introduce a ‘wasted computing time’ parameter, which incorporates running inaccurate simulations.
Check out their blog for other good time wasting projects like their run on translating recipes from French using Google. This week it’s ‘Lawyers stuffed with hazelnuts’. Hmmmm, my favourite! Or you might prefer one from March which was ‘Foam of Virtual Bacon’.