mem (10/20/82)
c Regarding the concept of a race that is evolutionarily intellectually superior to us: Do you think that human intelligence will advance phylogenically? There is a concept called gerontomorphosis which says that the evolution of a race stagnates as the race becomes more specialized and especially as selective breeding ceases to play a part in the survival of the race. No... this isn't a case against welfare. Or is it? Mark E. Mallett
bcw (10/21/82)
From: Bruce C. Wright @ Duke University Re: Intelligence and mutations Mark Mallett brings up the question of whether human intelligence (and presumably alien intelligence as well) might not have stagnated. This has probably been true for the past 50,000 years or so (man has been able to significantly modify his environment for something on this order of time), since there probably hasn't been too much selection pressure (in a relative sense) during that time. But if our understanding of things like the workings of the brain and artificial intelligence continue at their present rate, we will before very long be able to directly modify intelligence. Selection and evolution arguments really don't matter very much if the race can directly modify it the characteristic under consideration. As for DNA being "programmed" to mutate, this sounds suspicious. The differences between the DNA for humans and apes only has about 2% or less different. It is unclear that this 2% difference was caused by any type of classical mutation (micromutation or macromutation), it is probable that much of the difference is recombination. Many people have the impression that evolution proceeds by the selection of new mutations; in reality, mutations are relatively rare, and most evolution proceeds by the selection of new *combinations*. Finally, I am far from convinced that it is really possible to design an error correcting code which will be guaranteed to remain intact for 20,000,000,000 years (guess of remaining lifetime of the universe) for all of 1e15 robots (give or take a few million) - unless the code is so costly that the time to compute it is of cosmological scale. Without such a guarantee it is possible to imagine the mutations and selection to take place in a manner not too unlike life on earth, which is exactly what some of the other readers have been worried about. Bruce C. Wright @ Duke University
bcw (10/21/82)
References: sii.178 From: Bruce C. Wright @ Duke University Re: Intelligence and mutations Mark Mallett brings up the question of whether human intelligence (and presumably alien intelligence as well) might not have stagnated. This has probably been true for the past 50,000 years or so (man has been able to significantly modify his environment for something on this order of time), since there probably hasn't been too much selection pressure (in a relative sense) during that time. But if our understanding of things like the workings of the brain and artificial intelligence continue at their present rate, we will before very long be able to directly modify intelligence. Selection and evolution arguments really don't matter very much if the race can directly modify the characteristic under consideration. As for DNA being "programmed" to mutate, this sounds suspicious. The differences between the DNA for humans and apes only has about 2% or less different. It is unclear that this 2% difference was caused by any type of classical mutation (micromutation or macromutation), it is probable that much of the difference is recombination. Many people have the impression that evolution proceeds by the selection of new mutations; in reality, mutations are relatively rare, and most evolution proceeds by the selection of new *combinations*. Finally, I am far from convinced that it is really possible to design an error correcting code which will be guaranteed to remain intact for 20,000,000,000 years (guess of remaining lifetime of the universe) for all of 1e15 robots (give or take a few million) - unless the code is so costly that the time to compute it is of cosmological scale. Without such a guarantee it is possible to imagine the mutations and selection to take place in a manner not too unlike life on earth, which is exactly what some of the other readers have been worried about. Bruce C. Wright @ Duke University
raz (10/21/82)
Actually, I've believed for some time that evolution is continuing even among the (so-called) human race. Granted, except for comic books, we are not going to get much taller (or get a third eye), but the basic proportions of the population have been shifting towards those areas which the ECONOMY provides as niches. To avoid flames which would cast negative inference upon my ancestry, I refuse to speculate whether or not designating a significant percentage of the economy to Welfare is guiding evolution. My point is that evolution is guided by the environment. While we can control the elements (to the degree of shelter), and ship in food-stuffs; those who can live best within our environment (or best manipulate it) are those who will survive longer, and will get the better chance to pass on his/her genes. Never afraid to sign the name of the fellow whose account I use: Robert A Zimmermann