Did we underhype AlphaFold? Protein folding may matter more than a Millennium Problem
AltruisticCoder · reddit · 2026-09-22
A Reddit discussion with an actual thesis: the author, not AGI-pilled but impressed by new models' math performance, asks which matters more for science — solving a Millennium math problem or folding essentially every protein structure.
- Core claim: protein folding's impact on human health science may ultimately outweigh cracking a Millennium Problem
- Implication: AlphaFold's release was possibly underhyped, while today's math-model breakthroughs may be overhyped
- An open debate on how to weigh fundamental scientific value, with the author inviting counterarguments
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