Protein folding: is hierarchical versus nonhierarchical a productive issue?

A coarse-grained simulation accessing relevant folding timescales for beta-lactoglobulin was corroborated experimentally and reveals a dynamic role for nonnative structures dictated by local propensity vis-á-vis the large-scale context. This picture prompts us to shift focus, leaving aside the hierarchical vs. nonhierarchical controversy.