Computer Simulation of Evolution by Natural Selection

[youtubehd]oCXzcPNsqGA[/youtubehd]

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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.

 

The creatures shown are results from many independent simulations in which they were selected for swimming, walking, jumping, following, and competing for control of a green cube.

the second half of this video is pretty great.

I remember reading about these in DDJ a loooong time ago.

they use the genetic algorithm to evolve optimum shapes for boats - they race the virtual boats in a wind/water tunnel in a Cray and the winners go to the next round

NASA have used it to evolve the optimum shape for antenna, which was creepy because the best design was really organic looking

natural selection itself is a simple algorithm, it's the simulated world and the evolvable variables that are hard to do. be great to see someone hack this onto Spore

Here's a good article from 'Damn Interesting' about evolutionary algorithms being used to develop technology. It also mentions NASA's methods for antenna development:

My linhttp://www.damninteresting.com/?p=870#more-870k

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In a unique laboratory in Sussex, England, a computer carefully scrutinized every member of large and diverse set of candidates. Each was evaluated dispassionately, and assigned a numeric score according to a strict set of criteria. This machine's task was to single out the best possible pairings from the group, then force the selected couples to mate so that it might extract the resulting offspring and repeat the process with the following generation. As predicted, with each breeding cycle the offspring evolved slightly, nudging the population incrementally closer to the computer's pre-programmed definition of the perfect individual.

 

The candidates in question were not the stuff of blood, guts, and chromosomes that are normally associated with evolution, rather they were clumps of ones and zeros residing within a specialized computer chip. As these primitive bodies of data bumped together in their silicon logic cells, Adrian Thompson– the machine's master– observed with curiosity and enthusiasm.

I wonder why the crab is so deviant

  On 7/13/2009 at 3:12 AM, analogue wings said:

be great to see someone hack this onto Spore

Keep dreaming. What was once Maxis has been devoured and become another cog in the EA machine, with nary an imagination or sense of willingness to take creative risks like its business model of old was once all about.

  On 7/13/2009 at 6:43 AM, my usernames always really suck said:

  On 7/13/2009 at 3:12 AM, analogue wings said:

be great to see someone hack this onto Spore

 

Keep dreaming. What was once Maxis has been devoured and become another cog in the EA machine, with nary an imagination or sense of willingness to take creative risks like its business model of old was once all about.

Spore was still fun, just a little (okay very) derivative. But this simulation definitely looks like what I'm sure many people imagined when they first heard of Spore.

  On 7/13/2009 at 2:28 AM, chaosmachine said:

[youtubehd]oCXzcPNsqGA[/youtubehd]

 

  Quote

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...

Nice video. If you're wondering (like I was) why it took a 'supercomputer' to do this, it's because it was done in 1994.

running this program in the background right. on generation 9 now.

psh, computers have been using the far more effective "creationism" algorithm for some time now.

  On 7/13/2009 at 2:28 AM, chaosmachine said:

[youtubehd]oCXzcPNsqGA[/youtubehd]

 

  Quote

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.

 

The creatures shown are results from many independent simulations in which they were selected for swimming, walking, jumping, following, and competing for control of a green cube.

 

the second half of this video is pretty great.

Needs to be set to Autechre's "Second Bad Vilbel"

the one that comes in at 0-41 moves like i'd expect a carpoid echinoderm to move

[/paleontology nerdiness]

  On 7/13/2009 at 9:29 AM, WhoNeedsElectricity said:

  On 7/13/2009 at 6:43 AM, my usernames always really suck said:

  On 7/13/2009 at 3:12 AM, analogue wings said:

be great to see someone hack this onto Spore

 

Keep dreaming. What was once Maxis has been devoured and become another cog in the EA machine, with nary an imagination or sense of willingness to take creative risks like its business model of old was once all about.

 

Spore was still fun, just a little (okay very) derivative. But this simulation definitely looks like what I'm sure many people imagined when they first heard of Spore.

Maxis had already developed a natural selection simulator well over a decade before Spore existed, known as SimLife. It was magnitudes more in-depth and enjoyable than Spore ever was, and as a simulator it demonstrated the concept of natural selection much better than this cheesy university project can. Not only were there animals which were highly customizable, but flora was in the game as well and plants were just as much subject to the natural selection process in the game as opposed to just stage props like they were in Spore.

I had SimLife! I think I've still got it somewhere...I'll have to have a hunt around for it...

haha sim life was awesome

the sound effects were very weird