How the SIC@HOME project works

Search for incredible coincidence at home

How it works

Users can participate by downloading the free client from the Download section. The client uses data coming from any equipment connected to the soundcard of the computer to generate a picture. It then analyzes the picture and compares it to a predefined picture. That predefined picture can be seen at program startup.

Ideally, an AM radio tuned off station should be connected to the soundcard, but any sound source will do. The SIC@HOME client can even operate without a soundcard, generating it's own pseudorandom data by complex random routines. The pseudorandom routine can not prove that the universe is infinite, but it can find incredible coincidences. By the pseudorandom routines, users without an SB compatible soundcards can also run the SIC@HOME client and perhaps find an Incredible Coincidence.

The predifened picture is 'MyDelight', supplied to me by Robert Norton in the best picture contest. Thanks Robert! You can see it below:

As soon as the client is started, by pressing S, it begins to gather data. Here's a screenshot of the pseudorandom module in action:

The picture is compared against the predefined picture and a 'score' is given to it.

Here a picture of the soundcard module in action, the radio was tuned off station, only noise could be heard.

The client shows the user how good a match the picture is. If it's a 100% match, the screen should turn completely black. Here's how it looked when the client analyzed the above picture: (note, this is on V1.0, V2.0 has a new predefined picture, more suited for the task of SIC@HOME).

As you can see, it was a bad match because the picture should have become completely black if we would have had a good match. Now it's quite bright, so it was a bad match. Nothing of interest.

Here's a screenshot of when I had the radio tuned to some music:

And here's how it looked after it had been analyzed, not a very good match...

Why don't you proceed to the download page yourself and start searching for the ultimate coincidence!