'But the authors are particularly set off by the habit of referring to the unfolded state as some sort of unique form common to most proteins, whether this unfolding is done by excess heat, lack of heat, pressure changes, chemical means, or whatever.

I can see their point. This is an example of “reification”, the philosophical mistake of “turning something into a thing” when it isn’t actually a separate entity or even a real one.'

cc @pradeu

https://www.science.org/content/blog-post/unfolding-unfolded