Science foldit and the molecular structure of retrovirus enzyme

[fort]

Gamers have solved the structure of a retrovirus enzyme whose configuration had stumped scientists for more than a decade. The gamers achieved their discovery by playing Foldit, an online game that allows players to collaborate and compete in predicting the structure of protein molecule
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110918144955.htm

http://fold.it

 

[Jarvitä]

Wow, what a massive, sentimentalist overstatement.

Gamers pointed scientists in the right direction. FoldIt is just that, a way to find promising research areas. All of the real research still gets done by real scientists.

 

[Zachstar]

They did in 10 days what it took scientists more than a decade to do. That is not an overstatement in any way.

And what the scientists did afterward was use a slew of programs to verify the realism of the results. If it was just a "sentimentalist overstatement" they wouldn't be having a celebration on skype.

 

[Artlav]

So, Stargate: Universe show gave someone a good idea after all.

 

[Turbinator]

That science daily website is awesome, -and- it includes an MLA and APA cite tool on the bottom of every article. I am definitely going to be using this website for my term research paper. Thanks.

 

[Wishbone]

I'm not impressed by the use of live people as heuristic computers.

 

[Turbinator]

Problem?

 

[Zachstar]

So, Stargate: Universe show gave someone a good idea after all.

Never...Mention..That..Show..Again..

Yes SGU was baaaaaad.

 

[n0mad23]

I've been following Foldit since it was released (some of the work was done at the University of Washington, up the road from me in Seattle). From its inception, the scientists have been counting on gamers applying ways of problem solving that is the strength of gaming. In other words, the scientists have been hoping that some of the "outside the box" approaches that gamers (especially puzzle solvers) use will provide solutions that the scientists themselves wouldn't think of.

Particularly cool is how the brainchild of the game actually was inspired by his love of origami and how he imagined that the maths of origami could provide unique solutions to folding protein chains.

As a free download, I think this "game" is a whole lot better for both its goals and creativity (for the user) than something like America's Army (though I've not dl-ed or played the latter).

 

[Grover]

those "scientists" are acting all casual now: ""We wanted to see if human intuition could succeed where automated methods had failed,""

i bet they were stumped that a pubescent had 1upped them at their own game... with a game! the shame will live with them for years

 

[Ghostrider]

So, Stargate: Universe show gave someone a good idea after all.

It's way older than that. Check out The Last Starfighter.

 

[FADEC]

Wow, what a massive, sentimentalist overstatement.

Gamers pointed scientists in the right direction. FoldIt is just that, a way to find promising research areas. All of the real research still gets done by real scientists.

I think you overestimate/glorify science/scientists.

 

[n0mad23]

At least the gamers were given credit, too:

The scientists and gamers are listed as co-authors.