Hindsight · review build · data not yet validated
Unused computes on the Internet are being harvested, creating virtual parallel supercomputers with human brain hardware capacity.
Grader A: partial
Harvesting of idle computers was real and routine in 2009: Folding@home passed 1 PF in September 2007 and 5 PF in February 2009, more than any supercomputer. But it did not reach the claimed human-brain figure of 20 PF (about 5 PF native, 25% of the claim).
Test: Numeric test: claim 20 PF (human brain capacity per Kurzweil); actual about 5 PF in 2009 (75% short), outside the 25% band. The harvesting practice itself existed and was significant.
Grader B: partial
Harvesting idle computers was real and large: Folding@home reached 5 native PF in Feb 2009 (plus BOINC projects). This is about a quarter of the stated 20 PF brain capacity, so the capacity part fails while the practice is fully true.
Test: Numeric: predicted ~20 PF; actual largest volunteer grid ~5 PF native in 2009 (~75% short).