Einstein@Home, part of the World Year of Physics being planned for 2005, is the latest offshoot of the pioneering Seti@Home project. While SETI has been searching astronomical data for signs of intelligent life in the universe, Einstein@Home will be searching for something in principle much simpler: gravitational waves.

The astronomical data in question are from the Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory, a new pair of facilities in Hanford, WA and Livingston, LA designed to be just sensitive enough to detect expected gravitational waves from the activities of galactic neutron stars and black holes. The particular search target for the Einstein@Home project is gravitational radiation from slightly asymmetric, rapidly rotating neutron stars, or pulsars.

The software isn’t ready to download yet – but they’re taking email addresses of interested people at the Einstein@Home site now – so go sign up!