This is an area that I’ve looked into a few times here and there. It has showed promise, and it’s improved to the point that I’m comfortable not only doing it, but endorsing it. Distributed computing is the splitting up of an extremely complex, data driven experiment or project across many computers. This is in an attempt to speed up the process and increase data integrity. Anyone with a computer of meager specifications can contribute and in some cases be rewarded for doing so in a manner of different ways.
So how does this impact me? No, I don’t have a rogue computer contacting me that likes to be called Joshua… But I have a program on my machine that allows me to choose which projects I’m donating computation time to. My desktop is no supercomputer, but it’s no slouch. I’m currently donating computational time to a climate experiment. I could donate time to environment models, protein folding, genetic mapping, mathematical experiments, even SETI (the search for extraterrestrial intelligence). In a given day, my computer doesn’t make a huge dent in the portion of the experiment I’m working towards, but when hundreds of people sign up, a super computer of sorts is created that completes the project faster and with multiple results in the same relative time of many mainframes or a super computer working on the same problem.
I remember reading some time ago that Sony was throwing around the possibility of placing a distributed computing client on the new Playstation 3 (which has a great CPU inside). If only 10,000 PS3′s run the client, then it’ll essentially be a supercomputer on the peta-flop scale which is more than twice as fast as any super computer currently in existence. Despite the expense of a PS3, one must remember that the PS2 was the best selling console of all time (at 
over 4 milion if my memory serves). This is exciting in that it’s possible to have a piece of the worlds most powerful computer in my living room that is trying to make a difference. That or it’s the beginning of Skynet.
Yeah, I know about two people read this… But the ability to give a little towards the research is so easy. I’m currently giving climateprediction.net my newer desktop at home 100% of my time. Here’s a little article explaining this project. Each core of my computer’s processor is crunching a different area of project just about 1% a day if left on 24 hours at a time (all of my power comes from wind power, so I don’t feel guilty at the possible irony of wasting energy). I’m not sure if I endorse that everyone I know does this (some level of technical knowhow is useful)… But it’s another way to assist in a cause you are passionate about.
The two best places for information are distributedcomputing.info and Boinc. And remember – in terms of Tic-Tac-Toe and Global Thermonuclear War – the best move is not to play.