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.'"

Comments

Great idea but seems tough to gamify problems

[SuperKendall]

I thought Foldit was actually a pretty fun game and a great idea when it came out, and now that I'm reminded of it I'll have to go back and play some more. It's fantastic to have validation that humans are still excellent pattern recognition engines compared even to very modern algorithms and powerful computers.

But to extend the idea more generally, seems rather hard. Foldit had the great insight to take you to an algorithmically close starting place and let you complete the final adjustments - in that way the algorithm itself is as much a part of the team as the detail or adjustment members they were talking about.

I wonder how many other ideas can be so easily brought to a place close enough that a human can recognize patterns enough to be of use in a final solution. I look forward to seeing what astronomers come up with...

Re:Great idea but seems tough to gamify problems

[blahplusplus]

"e. It's fantastic to have validation that humans are still excellent pattern recognition engines compared even to very modern algorithms and powerful computers."

Computers primary advantage is speed, for all our pattern recognition capability are mathematical capability is pretty limited besides modern computers. I think it's our ability to stitch or see things as wholes instead of millions of unconnected parts that gives us an advantage - we can recognize things like context that speed up the process significantly whether we are consciously aware or unconsciously recognizing context.

Re:Gamers? no Nerds? yes

[CastrTroy]

The really funny part is that somebody programmed a bot to play the game, and it's doing better than the researcher's algorithm.