Is it possible to use ASIC's computational power for something useful?

[precrime3]

Like I know this has been reiterated with BOINCcoin but I mean like you mine bitcoin, and its not spent trying to decrypt a sha256 hash sum, but rather fold proteins and what not. I mean an easy work around would be to fork primecoin to sha256 (if possible), and then bitcoin would be supporting the primecoin blockchain AND finding prime numbers.

[john641]

I like to know this as well if those massive hash power can be use on something. Does asics can be use to decrypt hashed passwords?

[AmDD]

Like I know this has been reiterated with BOINCcoin but I mean like you mine bitcoin, and its not spent trying to decrypt a sha256 hash sum, but rather fold proteins and what not. I mean an easy work around would be to fork primecoin to sha256 (if possible), and then bitcoin would be supporting the primecoin blockchain AND finding prime numbers.

Not possible. That would be like trying to find the sum of 23 and 17 as well as finding pi.

SHA256 ASICs can do one thing and one thing only, hash SHA256.

ASIC stands for Application Specific Integrated Circuit.

[precrime3]

Like I know this has been reiterated with BOINCcoin but I mean like you mine bitcoin, and its not spent trying to decrypt a sha256 hash sum, but rather fold proteins and what not. I mean an easy work around would be to fork primecoin to sha256 (if possible), and then bitcoin would be supporting the primecoin blockchain AND finding prime numbers.

Not possible. That would be like trying to find the sum of 23 and 17 as well as finding pi.

SHA256 ASICs can do one thing and one thing only, hash SHA256.

ASIC stands for Application Specific Integrated Circuit.

SHA256 is just encryption/decryption right? There must be people that need that kind of power, possible to rent 1 th/s of power not for mining, but like science purposes?

[AmDD]

Like I know this has been reiterated with BOINCcoin but I mean like you mine bitcoin, and its not spent trying to decrypt a sha256 hash sum, but rather fold proteins and what not. I mean an easy work around would be to fork primecoin to sha256 (if possible), and then bitcoin would be supporting the primecoin blockchain AND finding prime numbers.

Not possible. That would be like trying to find the sum of 23 and 17 as well as finding pi.

SHA256 ASICs can do one thing and one thing only, hash SHA256.

ASIC stands for Application Specific Integrated Circuit.

SHA256 is just encryption/decryption right? There must be people that need that kind of power, possible to rent 1 th/s of power not for mining, but like science purposes?

Could be possible I guess, but in doing that it would take away from Bitcoin mining. I dont think you could do both together.