Digital Organisms

[avad]

Interesting article...
from a post in scientificwhims:
Testing Darwin
Digital organisms that breed thousands of times faster than common
bacteria are beginning to shed light on some of the biggest unanswered
questions of evolution
By Carl Zimmer
DISCOVER Vol. 26 No. 02 | February 2005
www.carlzimmer.com/articles/2005/articles_2005_Avida.html

Reminds me of Richard Dawkins' The Selfish Gene...

Comments

[babayada.livejournal.com]

I kinda have a problem with some of the language of the article. They talk about the digital organisms being aware of the operator scanning them with data in order to determine whether he'd shut down a line of evolution in progress. Words something to the affect of "they decided to adapt" were used.

This is a really sloppy use of language and gives these digital critters qualities they don't have.

What happens, most likely, is that through a more passive process, more like operating under certain rules under which there is no choice, the digital critters who can replicate under the conditions and still can do whatever is a quality selected for, do.

They no more decide or become aware as a charcoal colored moth decides to become another color because it figures that this will help insure its survival. If a mutation occurs and proves beneficial for survival, it gets replicated more and more.

They are supposedly arguing against creationism and intelligent design but are actually supporting it with language which is full of fallacy.

The subject is fascinating, though, it was the first thing I wrote about in my journal, I think.

http://www.livejournal.com/users/babayada/296.html