Cracking a Tough AIDS Research Puzzle: Boffins 0, US Gamers 1. Rock On!

[qubit]

An AIDS protein folding puzzle has stumped scientists for a decade, but US gamers cracked it in a mere three weeks! This was achieved by combining the brute force logic and speed of the digital computer, with the lateral thinking of the distinctly fuzzy human brain. To achieve this, a distributed computing application called Foldit was used, which involved gamers solving individual puzzles in a competitive atmosphere. This amazing merger of minds and machine over the internet creates a sort of distributed "cybernetic organism", which combines the strengths of biological and silicon computers into something far more powerful than either alone.





The puzzles are that of protein folding, which is highly complex. So much so in fact, that even supercomputers find them tough to chew through, which is why the Stanford Folding@Home project was started a decade ago. The application transforms science problems into three dimensional puzzle challenges for gamers to solve. Within days, a workable model emerged from the challenges, which the boffins scientists were able to refine further into an accurate model of the enzyme's structure. This knowledge opens doors for scientists to design drugs that are effective at stopping HIV from multiplying.

Seth Cooper, a co-creator of Foldit, said:

People have spatial reasoning skills, something computers are not yet good at. Games provide a framework for bringing together the strengths of computers and humans. The results in this week's paper show that gaming, science and computation can be combined to make advances that were not possible before.

View at TechPowerUp Main Site

 

[Bow]

I saw this yesterday

 

[BUCK NASTY]

Ah, folding at it's best! This is what we do it for guy's!!!!

 

[qubit]

Ah, folding at it's best! This is what we do it for guy's!!!!

I really wanted to add a poll to this, but I don't have the permissions on news threads.

I want to ask if TPU members want to start a project like this, much like we have F@H and WCG. I reckon it would rock.

 

[Jegergrim]

Ah, folding at it's best! This is what we do it for guy's!!!!

Things suchas this great achievement could bring alot new "gamers" into foldit, keep it up indeed

 

[m4gicfour]

A much better way to access the untapped potential of human resource present in computer games than in-game ads.

 

[qubit]

A much better way to access the untapped potential of human resource present in computer games than in-game ads.

Oh god yes. Well put.

 

[D4S4]

this means that some diseases could quite literally get PWNT.

 

[derwin75]

Re:

I heard about this 2 days ago.....PC Gamers Rules!!!!!

 

[hat]

So folding@home did indeed contribute to this, then?

 

[[H]@RD5TUFF]

Now if only more people would get behind distributed computing think how much progress we could make.

 

[Mussels]

this one wasnt actually folding@home, it was a game that got humans to do the same work via a 3D game instead of pure math.

 

[Rowsol]

Pimpin.

 

[Delta6326]

Foldit is so much fun, once I start I can't stop!

 

[DonInKansas]

I wonder if they called AIDS ghey and a n00b after it was finished.

 

[Completely Bonkers]

Ok, so now I have a valid reason to upgrade my gaming rig? All in the name of science...

DeresiaL, that is a very interesting (educational and inspiring) video http://www.newsytype.com/11536-aids-protein-foldit/. And welcome to TPU.

It is worth the 20minutes to watch that video. Get through the first 3 minutes where your first reaction might just be 'why is this lady wearing a silly dress and awful boots' and you will see she is a smart and interesting academic who has done some research into "gaming communities". Good stuff.