A typical Foldit screen displays a colourful protein structure at the centre with the score at the top ( image source ). Foldit is a citizen science puzzle game that challenges players to solve real-world protein-folding problems, leading to disease research and drug development discoveries. In 2008, the University of Washington Biochemistry and the UW Department of Biochemistry released Foldit, a crowd-sourcing protein-folding puzzle game. Players predict the 3D structures of the proteins, seeking to uncover the most stable and energy-efficient states. Foldit was among the first citizen science games (CSGs) designed for real-world scientific problem-solving, demonstrating that gameplay could facilitate meaningful public participation in research. By the early 2010s, the term Games With a Purpose  (GWAP) was often used to describe such efforts (Miller et al., 2023). The origin Resolving the shape of proteins can lead to drug discoveries and cures for human diseases since the shape of the protein defines its function and how it interacts with other molecules. It all started with Rosetta@home, a protein structure prediction programme created by molecular biologist David Baker. Rosetta's "network is capable of 100 trillion calculations per second, dwarfing most supercomputers" (Bohannon, 2010), c irculating calculations through thousands of volunteer home computers worldwide. Some Rosetta users said they occasionally saw potential solutions but felt frustrated when they could not make any corrections. Baker then approached computer science professors David Salesin and Zoran Popović to conceptualise and create an interactive program, and they turned it into a video game instead (Technology Review, 2008). Rosetta@home interface. Determining protein structures can lead to drug discoveries and cures for human diseases since a protein's shape defines its function and interactions with other molecules. Foldit's origins trace back to Rosetta@home, a protein structure prediction program created by molecular biologist David Baker. Rosetta's network performs 100 trillion calculations per second, surpassing most supercomputers, distributing tasks across thousands of volunteer home computers worldwide (Bohannon, 2010). Some Rosetta users reported seeing potential solutions but felt frustrated that they could not make direct modifications. Recognising this limitation, Baker then approached computer science professors David Salesin and Zoran Popović to develop an interactive solution, and they turned it into a video game instead (Technology Review, 2008). The human vs. machine In 2019, a study compared the performance of Foldit players with Rosetta's automated strategies. The findings revealed that Foldit players significantly outperformed automated approaches. As shown in Fig. 2a, Foldit players (red, blue, and green) explored new regions with significant energy increases, whereas Rosetta's strategies remained limited and systemic. Red circles correspond to snapshots of the trajectory displayed in Fig. 2b. Finally, Fig. 2c illustrates the strategic trajectory of Foldit players; each colour represents different cooperating Foldit players, with the final structure (marked by a star) achieved after 17 branch points (Koepnick et al., 2019). Fig. 2 | Comparison of Foldit player and automated design-sampling strategies (Koepnick et al., 2019). A decade-long problem Scientists hoped that gamers manipulating protein structures might help uncover the enzyme M-PMV Retroviral protease, which is crucial for understanding how HIV multiplies. After scientists and computer programs failed to determine the structure for over a decade, the M-PMV Foldit puzzle was created. In just three weeks, gamers produced a 3D model of the enzyme, accurate enough for molecular replacement (Khatib et al., 2011; Zoran, 2011). This discovery paved the way for developing antiretroviral drugs, including treatments for HIV (Khatib et al., 2011). Winners: Void Crushers Group F. If a protein researcher is struggling with a particular problem, they will create a Foldit puzzle for their problem. — Foldit website. Crystal structure of monomeric M-PMV retroviral protease on Protein Data Bank (PDB) archive where Foldit players are named. Foldit has hundreds of thousands of registered players who contribute to cancer and Alzheimer's research, among other causes. Gameplay has since evolved to allow players to design never-before-seen synthetic proteins, which led David Baker to experiment with protein design. M-PMV retroviral protease Foldit puzzle solution. Foldit Legacy If we can mimic the pinnacle of intuition in Go, then why couldn't we map that across to proteins? —Demis Hassabis, co-founder of DeepMind (Heaven, 2022). AlphaGodefeated Lee Sedo, the Go world champion. Simultaneously, Demis Hassabis, co-founder of DeepMind, started experimenting with game systems and AI. After experimenting with an automated game system for old arcade classics, he took on a more complex game system and created AlphaGo, which plays the ancient strategy board game Go. AlphaGo eventually defeated the Go (board game) world champion, Lee Sedol. Seeking a new challenge, Hassabis looked at Foldit's success, which led him to "think that AI could maybe try to mimic that intuitive capability that those gamers were demonstrating" (BBC, 2020). Hassabis and scientist John M. Jumper started testing with protein folding, and in 2020, DeepMind released AlphaFold2. The programme's success led experts to claim that the half-century protein folding problem has been broadly solved. In 2024, the Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded to David Baker for computational protein design and Demis Hassabis and John M. Jumper for protein structure prediction. 2024 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. References Koepnick, B., Flatten, J., Husain, T. et al . (2019). De novo protein design by citizen scientists. Nature, 575, 184–188. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-019-1274-4 Khatib, F., DiMaio, F., Foldit Contenders Group, et al. (2011). Crystal structure of a monomeric retroviral protease solved by protein folding game players. Nature Structural & Molecular Biology, 18 (10), 1175–1177. https://doi.org/10.1038/nsmb.2119 Bohannon, J. (2010, August 4). Video game helps solve protein structures . Science. Retrieved January 31, 2025, from https://www.science.org/content/article/video-game-helps-solve-protein-structures Miller, J. A., Vepřek, L. H., Deterding, S., & Cooper, S. (2023). Practical recommendations from a multi-perspective needs and challenges assessment of citizen science games. PLoS ONE, 18(5), e0285367. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0285367 Cooper, S., Khatib, F., Treuille, A., et al. (2010). Predicting protein structures with a multiplayer online game. Nature, 466, 756–760. https://doi.org/10.1038/nature09304 Zoran, A. (2011). Crystal structure of a monomeric retroviral protease solved by protein folding game players. https://homes.cs.washington.edu/~zoran/NSMBfoldit-2011.pdf Heaven, W. D. (2022, February 23). This is the reason Demis Hassabis started DeepMind. MIT Technology Review. Retrieved January 31, 2025, from https://www.technologyreview.com/2022/02/23/1045016/ai-deepmind-demis-hassabis-alphafold Saplakoglu, Y. (2024, June 26). How AI revolutionized protein science—but didn't end it . Quanta Magazine. Retrieved January 31, 2025, from https://www.quantamagazine.org/how-ai-revolutionized-protein-science-but-didnt-end-it-20240626/ BBC News. (2020, December 2). DeepMind co-founder: Gaming inspired AI breakthrough. BBC News. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-55157940 Fold.it . (n.d.). Science. Retrieved January 31, 2025, from https://fold.it/science Rosetta@home. (n.d.). What is Rosetta@home? Retrieved January 31, 2025, from https://boinc.bakerlab.org/rosetta/rah/rah_about.php Tiz Creel  of Living Things Studio ©2025 Thank you for reading 🫀 Keep it playful.

Quipus expand our understanding of what writing can be — multidimensional. A quipucamayoc in El primer nueva corónica. On the lower left is a yupana — an Inca calculating device. T he quipu code is a language system using knotted strings, which was used by ancient cultures of the Andean region of South America, notably the Inca Empire. Considered a form of writing, it communicates complex and meaningful information through a symbolic system. Unlike alphabetic or logographic writing, it relies not on visual symbols but on tactile and spatial ones. The quipu code was used for various purposes, such as accounting, taxation, census, calendrical, and military organisation. It was also a way of preserving historical, mythological, and religious narratives and planning future events. Over time, the quipus evolved to serve artistic and literary purposes. Quipu of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian Unfortunately, over time, knowledge of how to interpret quipus was lost. However, a Spanish census record was found to match the six quipus. This discovery was significant for deciphering ancient records. The quipu has a central cord from which hangs several pendant cords of different colours, lengths, and knots. The position, direction, and type of the cords’ knots, colour, and material encode numerical and categorical data in a base-ten positional system. Khipu with a numerical representation Source: Retrieved from “ The Khipu-Based Numeration System “ , S. Pilgaonkar, 2015. According to Sabine Hyland, an anthropologist, some quipus have a logosyllabic system, where the knots and the fibres vary according to the sounds that make up words. The khipu writing system was three-dimensional, which made touch as important as sight. Each knot, twist, and colour had a meaning. Some could reveal who owed what to whom, others could tell stories of the past and present. Quipus expands our understanding of what writing can be. Deep Dive: Quipu | SpringerLink  | A comprehensive overview of the quipu code’s history, structure, and functions. It is written by Marcia Ascher and Robert Ascher, two experts who have studied and described hundreds of quipus. Quipu — Latin American Studies — Oxford Bibliographies  | Annotated bibliography entry that lists and evaluates some of the most important sources on the quipu code, including books, articles, and websites. It is written by Gary Urton, a professor of anthropology and a leading authority on the quipu code. Code of the Quipu cornell.edu  | detailed descriptions of over 200 quipus, as well as references to other quipu descriptions and the locations of extant quipu specimens. It is maintained by Marcia Ascher and Robert Ascher, the authors of the book Code of the Quipu: A Study in Media, Mathematics, and Culture. The Khipu Database Project  — Professor Gary Urton initiated the Khipu Database Project, which aimed to collect and analyse a large number of Khipus. Over 900 Khipus were gathered for detailed examination and study. The College Student Who Decoded the Data Hidden in Inca Knots : Tells the story of Manuel Medrano, a Harvard student who deciphered a set of quipus by matching them to a Spanish census document. — Tiz Creel (Founder of Living Things Studio  ©2023) Keep it curious.

An informal investigation of what it means to be an artist today. Throughout the years of navigating the art world, we encountered some oddities of the trade, some non-written rules, many questions and very few answers. Because of this, I started researching art and the art world in hopes of understanding the underlying meaning of art and its role in the world. The Public Arts Enquiry  is an experiment to capture the sentiment & underlying meaning of art and its playground called the art world. The chatbolt is not seeking truths but thoughts, perspectives and desires. Some questions may seem subjective and ambiguous; it’s by design. The results  have reached contributions form 263 people around the world, primarily based in the UK, Europe, the United States, Mexico and India. 50.6% of participants identify themselves as an artist, 18.6% as cultural workers, and 30.6% as members of the general public. The study reveals polar opposite opinions on art, revealing a deep confusion in our understanding. We are still capturing entries that are not reflected in the draft of the current results. I want art in the future to be.. Parallel to the enquiry, Art Conundrum   is a study that invites you to rethink your assumptions about art and its role in society, the narratives we validate daily, how we relate to each other as a community, and our role in the cultural wars. Social, political and economic approaches need the context of culture to validate their role and purpose; culture is the creation of the future. See all results here : Magic Circle was supported by ACME , and University College London  supported the creation of the study, which was later presented in Mind the Gap : Designing Residencies for Everyone – London Conference 2023. Tiz Creel  ©2023 - artist & maker Thank you for reading 🫀

Self-lead digital explorations. Previous Next CREATIVE SCHOOLS Self-lead digital explorations. Inspired by the user experience of social media/mobile games and modular education, we created a non-linear self-led system for young adults to learn animation and digital art for Meánscoil Gharman schools in Ireland. Collaborating with Creative Schools & British Council of Ireland (2019 -2022). The art classes did a lot of virtual classes with artist Tiz Creel this year. The students learned different skills for creating animation. Created the animation students are amazingly creative, and it was a lovely thing to do with them; they are learning from home. Quote from the Meanscoil Gharman annual report For the final project, Students designed and recorded the music, drew the assets, and then sent them to me for assembly and animation.

Enquiry about the meaning and purpose of art. Previous Next Public Arts Enquiry Enquiry about the meaning and purpose of art. From the starving artists to the lone genius, we will explore some oddities, dilemmas, social rules and questions of this strange field. The Public arts enquiry is an experiment to capture the sentiment & underlying meaning of art and the art world through a fun chatbot app. Find out more about the research project and the results here . Commissioned by ACME & University of City London to design & develop an engaging survey for the Mind the Gap: Designing Residencies for Everyone – London Conference 2023.

Playing with the mysteries for the Cultural Capital of Culture 2023. Previous Next URBAN GAMES Playing with the mysteries for the Cultural Capital of Culture 2023. Pop-up summer school where we provided playful interactions, storytelling, mentorship, production & development support to a series of emerging professionals in the field of design to create and present an urban game in a public event as part of the cultural program of the city of Elesfina, Greece. In collaboration with Trust in Play for the Elefsina Cycles, 2023 Eleusis European Capital of Culture.