Mikus:

Are you expecting someone to write you a check for that "wasted" hour on your system?

Go back and re-read the FAQ and the ABOUT sections on the DF site. This is a research project, not an engineering project. There are many excellent texts available that define the difference. In the very nature of research, a lot of time and effort may be expended without "positive" results. We still learn from the "negative" results, which includes what you refer to as "wasted" time.

You said earlier:
p.s. I think comparing the dfGUI charts of time_per_generation and RMS_per_generation is instructive.
It WILL BE instructive, but not until we've done enough of them to create a decent sample. "Decent" here being determined by Howard and the other project staff, not us, the horsepower.
Like that Roman dude said to Ben-Hur, "You exist to row. Row well!"