The University of Washington are investigating whether the brainpower of humans worldwide can be brought to bear on critical problems posed in computational biology. The long term goal of this project is to utilize the combined power of humans and computers in order to build accurate models of disease-related proteins by introducing a new approach: distributed computing driven by human intuition. The problem of accurate prediction of protein structures remains one of the most… Continue

Leah Nelson and Jay Grandin have established themselves as accomplished New Media producers with web content that has seen audiences of over 35 million. The success of their short films, comedy and documentary work has led to contracts for original series with companies such as Myspace, and inspired them to found Giant Ant Media, a web-focused video studio that creates unique campaigns and shows for online audiences.

Nelson’s short documentary, Kaka’win, traveled to numerous f… Continue

Drew Olanoff has cancer - but cancer doesn't have him. Drew is fighting against his Hodgkin's Disease the only way he knows how... by being social. He talks long and loud about this horrible disease, via every social medium he can get his hands on. And - it's working.

Drew and his team are raising awareness (and money for cancer research) to new levels every day. Even before he was officially diagnosed, Drew started blaming things like losing his car keys on his cancer. He ca… Continue

Beth describes herself as a gadget loving, game playing, movie junkie who reads, knits, and spends far too much time on the Internet. Emerging from the explosion of next-gen DIY movements, hand crafting revivals, and celebrating all thing geek comes a unique set of makers; the nerd crafter. Nothing is off-limits from the imagination and ingenuity of these crafters, who blend their passion for sci-fi, gaming, technology and all things geeky with their love of paints, fabrics, f… Continue

Micah is VP, Business Development and Chief Evangelist for Lijit Networks, the sixth startup Micah has been involved in (having sold his last startup, Current Wisdom, in the beginning of 2007). He came to Gnomedex to talk to us about how we can better build up our influence online, and come to have more of a presence.

Micah got his start as a university fundraiser, being one of the first to fuze online activities and marketing strategies into alumni fund-raising. In 1996, he… Continue