PrimeGrid is a volunteer computing project that gives participants the chance to be the discoverer of a new world record prime number! In addition, we are working towards the solution of several mathematical problems which have remained unsolved for over 50 years. The talk will cover some basic facts about prime numbers, the history of the search for large primes (and a little of the maths!), and show the audience how they can use their computers to join PrimeGrid and find new primes of their own.

This talk was given at the British Science Festival on Sat 7th September 2013 by Iain Bethune of EPCC.