Virtual evolution
This video shows results from a research project involving simulated
Darwinian evolutions of virtual block creatures. A population of several
hundred creatures is created within a supercomputer, and each creature
is tested for their ability to perform a given task, such the ability to
swim in a simulated water environment. Those that are most successful
survive, and their virtual genes containing coded instructions for their
growth, are copied, combined, and mutated to make offspring for a new
population. The new creatures are again tested, and some may be
improvements on their parents. As this cycle of variation and selection
continues, creatures with more and more successful behaviors can emerge.
More information
here, via
Reddit.
Seems like they missed one major trait amongst most motile organisms: the ability to evade predators most efficiently. I suppose the model would have looked similar to the red dot test... but instead of approaching the dot, they would 'evolve' a strategy to best avoid it.
ReplyDeleteThis is an old (but very good) video about this sort of thing. Here is a slightly newer one. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z9ptOeByLA4
ReplyDelete