A New Kind of Evolution

A new kind of evolution

There is going to be a new kind of evolution in the future.

Darwin's theory was a special case of evolution where intelligence was zero, and where mutations were performed at random.

Now, genetic engineers can perform mutations based on intelligence, using design, drawing on the resources of all living systems - and many synthetic ones - based on the knowledge of all recorded history.

Partial evaluations can be performed and, critically, evaluations can be performed under simulation - not just using brain-based simulators, but proper simulations that actually work reasonably well.

The selectionist paradigm is dead - the future of adaptation will not be based on testing, followed by discarding what fails and keeping what works, but rather will employ probabalistic, Bayesian methods.

The launch phase of evolution

This is a new kind of evolution, based on engineering design. It is evolution by intelligent agents - as opposed to the old kind of evolution, evolution by the blind and clueless.

The stuff you read about in evolution textbooks is out-of-date material which covers an era which is over.

That was just the launch phase of evolution. It got living systems off the ground, and successfully reached the altitude where engineers were formed.

Now the main booster rockets kick in. Please fasten your seat belts.

References

  1. Tim Tyler - The Engineered Future;
  2. Tim Tyler - One Big Organism;


Tim Tyler | tim@tt1.org | http://alife.co.uk/