# Detwiler: Questions Behe, Polyphen, and Ratchets

**URL:** <https://discourse.peacefulscience.org/t/detwiler-questions-behe-polyphen-and-ratchets/5088>\
**Category:** Conversation\
**Tags:** Science\
**Created:** [March 5, 2019, 3:31pm UTC](https://discourse.peacefulscience.org/t/detwiler-questions-behe-polyphen-and-ratchets/5088 "2019-03-05T15:31:27Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 44

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**Author:** ![Mercer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e274bd/32.png) [@Mercer](https://discourse.peacefulscience.org/u/Mercer)\
**Post date:** [March 6, 2019, 12:51am UTC](https://discourse.peacefulscience.org/t/detwiler-questions-behe-polyphen-and-ratchets/5088/44 "2019-03-06T00:51:35Z")

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> [@Rumraket](#):
>
> But apparently mutations towards higher stability are less likely on average compared to mutations towards lower stability. It is true that stability increasing mutations are not necessarily function improving.

It’s also true that mutations that increase stability of a purified protein in solution can easily decrease the stability of the complex in which most that protein functions.

So absent encyclopedic knowledge, 50/50 is the best estimate.

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