If one wishes to estimate how hard it is for evolution to find new functions in sequence space, mutating an existing wild-type protein makes little sense–but Axe didn’t even do that. He mutated a [temperature-sensitive mutant] protein that had already been selected to be on the edge of stability.
The conclusion that this was done to generate the lowest number is hard to escape. It seems that if Axe really thought that he had globally-relevant data, he would have done the same sort of experiment with many other unrelated proteins in the last 14 years.
I do. If ALL evidence supports your position, you can’t ignore any of it. And if someone brings up evidence (catalytic antibodies) that you haven’t seen, Miller’s hand-waving to dismiss that evidence still falsifies the claim that ALL evidence supports the position.