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Gamers Beat Algorithms At Finding Protein Structures
jamie writes "Researchers have turned the biochemical challenge of figuring out protein folding structures into a computer game. The best players can beat a computerized algorithm by rapidly recognizing problems that the computer can't fix. From the article: 'By tracing the actions of the best players, the authors were able to figure out how the humans' excellent pattern recognition abilities gave them an edge over the computer. For example, people were very good about detecting a hydrophobic amino acid when it stuck out from the protein's surface, instead of being buried internally, and they were willing to rearrange the structure's internals in order to tuck the offending amino acid back inside. Those sorts of extensive rearrangements were beyond Rosetta's abilities, since the energy changes involved in the transitions are so large.'"
Hopefully someone will crack that Ancient code any time now, and we can finally find Destiny!
Makes you wonder... Did the foldit guys borrow the idea off TV, or did the TV writers borrow it off them?
It's all over their parents basement.
Score: -1 Eeewwww
Table-ized A.I.
Sweet, I'll put that right after "Time's Person of the Year 2006".
I am pretty sure I already do this.
On the plus side, if I can just plug in, it could reduce the eye strain from staring at a monitor all day.
Does that give me a an Erdos number?
Have you never thinked so much you've got a headache? For neurons, when you excitate them too much, they can become desensitivized and even die.
Extreme Programming - Redundant Array of Inexpensive Developers