August 26, 2008
Discussions around the Web / MicroRNAs and Design
JB
UncommonDescent has a fascinating discussion about the design implications of MicroRNAs. The importance is stated by DaveScot in the comments:
Each specific base pair sequence of length n [i.e. the MicroRNA targets], has a probability of 1/n^4. An 8 pair sequence has a pobability of 1/4^8 or ~ 1/64000. To have two that match I think we need to multiply the probabilities of each. Get the drift? After seeing the same target sequence not a couple but hundreds of times, and in the protein target groups that give the right combinations for function, doesn’t design spring to your mind?
August 23, 2008
Discussions around the Web / End of August Discussions and Links
JB
There is almost too much going on these days to keep up with! I'll try to let you in on some of the craziness:
Front-loading
A lot of people have been discussing front-loading. Here's some of the links:
- UD and TT are both doing discussion posts on the front-loading hypothesis of Michael Sherman. Here's the UD link and the TT link.
- MikeGene has two posts on what he considers misunderstandings about front-loading (part 1 and part 2). I hope to find time to write about this, because I think MikeGene misunderstands his misunderstanders a bit, and then part 2 almost completely wipes out his criticisms of part 1. But we'll have to talk later if I have the time. In the meantime, after reading part 2, you should check out my review of an old paper about monophyly.
- More front-loading stuff around the web:
New Blogs I'm Watching
I've found several blogs. These two appear to be very interesting indeed:
Other Stuff
If I blogged on all that stuff, I'd never sleep! Hope some of it interests you.