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Cteno

Super Shotgun
Moderator








Since: 01-11-05

Since last post: 237 days
Last activity: 235 days
Posted on 09-21-11 06:09 PM Link
Full article here

Whether it is a victory for crowd-sourcing, citizen scientists or gamers, it is a remarkable achievement.

Using a game called “Foldit,” which was released by the University of Washington, players have deciphered the crystal structure of a protein that causes Aids in rhesus monkeys. It had baffled scientists for 15 years, but took gamers 10 days to solve.

The structure has been confirmed by X-ray crystallography reports the Foldit Portal and published in a Nature article available as a downloadable PDF.

We are so proud of everything that you Foldit players have accomplished already, and we hope that this article will show the world the power of citizen science! This is the first instance we are aware of in which online gamers solved a longstanding scientific problem and we want to thank you all for your amazing work on this and everything else.

There is quite a detailed look at how the gamers cracked the monkey AIDS puzzle on the MSNBC Cosmic Log, which is both inspiring and slightly disappointing. It is inspiring for the way participants describe how they overcame the challenges cooperatively.

But what is perhaps slightly disappointing is that of the 236,000 players who registered fo Foldit, success came from the problem-solving skill of a handful of apparently highly-intelligent individuals. That said, the majority of even the most active players reportedly did not come from a biochemical academic background.

The monkey-virus puzzle solution demonstrates that Foldit and other science-oriented video games could be used to address a wide range of other scientific challenges — ranging from drug development to genetic engineering for future biofuels. “My hope is that scientists will see this research and give us more of those cases,” [Firas ] Khatib, [a biochemist at the University of Washington said].

Thoughts on this? I find it amusing that a bunch of gamers who know nothing of biochemical engineering did more than people who do! I hope that one day I can see AIDS wiped out completely and this only brings us one step closer.
SirAileron

Keese








Since: 08-21-11

Since last post: 4949 days
Last activity: 4949 days
Posted on 09-21-11 06:25 PM Link
Oh snap, I saw this article! Definitely makes me happy to see this disease having progress made against it. It would make my friends who have that so happy to finally have some kind of cure.
Elara

Divine Mamkute
Dark Elf Goddess
Chaos Imp
Penguins Fan
Ms. Invisable








Since: 08-15-04
From: Ferelden

Since last post: 245 days
Last activity: 245 days
Posted on 09-21-11 09:58 PM Link
Who says that Gamers never do anything for society, eh? This is seriously awesome.
SirAileron

Keese








Since: 08-21-11

Since last post: 4949 days
Last activity: 4949 days
Posted on 09-21-11 11:10 PM Link
What really makes me happy about this, aside from the potential AIDS cure, is that I have this long-standing plan of assembling various scientists for whenever I can achieve my dream of becoming a game design superpower. Helping the world through video games is like being a ninja and messing with everyone's brain. I love it.
Bitmap

#1 Enhancement Shaman US Ravenholdt








Since: 09-05-04
From: His Laughin' Place

Since last post: 4702 days
Last activity: 4696 days
Posted on 09-22-11 12:42 AM Link
And you too can help with Folding@home

Which by the way I need to make a thread about that
Elara

Divine Mamkute
Dark Elf Goddess
Chaos Imp
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Ms. Invisable








Since: 08-15-04
From: Ferelden

Since last post: 245 days
Last activity: 245 days
Posted on 09-23-11 11:42 AM Link
What happened when you tried to make the thread, Bitmap?

Also... what other mysteries can gamers help to solve? Maybe they should put US on the Higgs-Bosen team, lol!
SirAileron

Keese








Since: 08-21-11

Since last post: 4949 days
Last activity: 4949 days
Posted on 09-23-11 12:51 PM Link
Well, we already know the cure for cancer. After AIDS, there's not much left to solve other than whether or not the faster-than-light-speed thing is true. D:
Cteno

Super Shotgun
Moderator








Since: 01-11-05

Since last post: 237 days
Last activity: 235 days
Posted on 09-23-11 05:26 PM Link
Well, don't discount the fact that AIDS could easily mutate to require a different cure after finding this one out. That's what makes pathology difficult.
Bitmap

#1 Enhancement Shaman US Ravenholdt








Since: 09-05-04
From: His Laughin' Place

Since last post: 4702 days
Last activity: 4696 days
Posted on 09-24-11 05:36 AM Link
Originally posted by Elara
What happened when you tried to make the thread, Bitmap?


I'm working on it now. Well, it might not be posted until Sunday when I am done partying and drinking.

E- You won't believe this. But I have a word.doc of every major thread I make to make sure my punctuation and spelling is top notch and also neat for everyone to read.

IM RETARDED

Also;

Also... what other mysteries can gamers help to solve? Maybe they should put US on the Higgs-Bosen team, lol!


Things like Cancer, Diabetes, tumors, and every other form of illness out there on the face of the planet. This technology only borrows your computer power so you can help science fold simple proteins. That's basically it. If you own a PS3 or a computer. You too can help fight against this by soending your sleeping nights running your console / computer in folding a program that helps fight the good fight.

Im with the Goons and I have been using my PS3 to help do this for over two years now. But I am going to switch teams to this community so that your (You) computer helps fight the good fight and maybe we can stand out on top.

Also, you get points for helping! Everyone likes points!

...I'll make the thread next week.

(Last edited by Bitmap on 09-24-11 05:42 AM)
elenaH
Newcomer








Since: 11-19-14
From: usa

Since last post: 3801 days
Last activity: 3801 days
Posted on 11-19-14 04:31 AM Link
Everyone loves earning achievements in games, but what if that achievement was solving a decade-old puzzle that confused AIDS researchers for years? The treatment of HIV and AIDS has been fundamentally the same since 1996. The identical drugs on essentially the same routines are recommended. One of the primary difficulties for researchers has been untangling how the enzymes of the virus work and interact. Using a game called "Foldit", players have deciphered the crystal structure of protein that causes AIDS in rhesus monkeys. It had confused scientist for several years, but took gamers about 3 weeks to solve. Indeed, what a remarkable achievement!
Elara

Divine Mamkute
Dark Elf Goddess
Chaos Imp
Penguins Fan
Ms. Invisable








Since: 08-15-04
From: Ferelden

Since last post: 245 days
Last activity: 245 days
Posted on 11-21-14 12:06 AM Link
Bumping a 3 year old thread and basically restating the information? Tsk tsk.
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