[ringshall]

There was a promise at the time (still active, I'm sure) that if your computer discovered a signal from ET, you would be listed as co-discoverer of alien life. I still remember watching the screensaver crunch through work units with the tiny but real hope that the data on my computer had that signal.

Even at the time, the prize seemed a little unearned, since all you had to do was click through an installer. But it was still an incentive. Probably the greatest lottery prize that's ever been offered.

[dylan604]

I don't think the discovery was required to be ET. I think that if the blip your system discovered was anything significant (pulsar or something), you'd get the credit. It was after all your machine and electricity that you paid for to do the discovery. It was the precursor to crypto proof of work.