The brute-force solution, if sampling conformations at picosecond rates, has been estimated to require a time longer than the age of the universe to fold certain proteins. Yet proteins fold on a millisecond scale or faster.
That requires that the proteins fold more or less randomly, and that the brute-force algorithm is in the -folding-, rather than the development of mechanisms which force certain foldings.
In order for the problem to hold, one of three things has to hold true:
1.) The proteins fold randomly (evidence suggests otherwise, as mentioned in the wikipedia link)
2.) Only a tiny subset of possible forced foldings are useful (that is, if there are a billion different ways for protein to be forced to fold in a particular manner, only one of them does what the body needs them to do) - AND anthropic reasoning isn’t valid (that is, we can’t say that our existence requires that evolution solved this nearly-impossible-to-arrive-at-through-random-processes)
3.) The majority of possible forced holdings are incompatible (that is, if protein A folds one way, then protein B -must- fold in a particular manner, or life isn’t possible) - AND anthropic reasoning isn’t valid
ETA: If anthropic reasoning is valid AND either 2 or 3 hold otherwise, it suggests our existence was considerably less likely than we might otherwise expect.
That requires that the proteins fold more or less randomly, and that the brute-force algorithm is in the -folding-, rather than the development of mechanisms which force certain foldings.
Ah. I apologise for having misunderstood you.
In that case, yes, the mechanisms for the folding may very well have developed by a brute-force type algorithm, for all I know. (Which, on this topic, isn’t all that much) But… what are those mechanisms?
The brute-force solution, if sampling conformations at picosecond rates, has been estimated to require a time longer than the age of the universe to fold certain proteins. Yet proteins fold on a millisecond scale or faster.
See: Levinthal’s paradox.
That requires that the proteins fold more or less randomly, and that the brute-force algorithm is in the -folding-, rather than the development of mechanisms which force certain foldings.
In order for the problem to hold, one of three things has to hold true: 1.) The proteins fold randomly (evidence suggests otherwise, as mentioned in the wikipedia link) 2.) Only a tiny subset of possible forced foldings are useful (that is, if there are a billion different ways for protein to be forced to fold in a particular manner, only one of them does what the body needs them to do) - AND anthropic reasoning isn’t valid (that is, we can’t say that our existence requires that evolution solved this nearly-impossible-to-arrive-at-through-random-processes) 3.) The majority of possible forced holdings are incompatible (that is, if protein A folds one way, then protein B -must- fold in a particular manner, or life isn’t possible) - AND anthropic reasoning isn’t valid
ETA: If anthropic reasoning is valid AND either 2 or 3 hold otherwise, it suggests our existence was considerably less likely than we might otherwise expect.
Ah. I apologise for having misunderstood you.
In that case, yes, the mechanisms for the folding may very well have developed by a brute-force type algorithm, for all I know. (Which, on this topic, isn’t all that much) But… what are those mechanisms?