Re: virus: Dawkins is an idiot

David Leeper (dleeper@gte.net)
Tue, 28 Aug 1956 04:40:34 +0000


David McFadzean wrote:
>
> At 09:57 PM 27/08/70 +0000, David Leeper wrote:
> >But exaptation has been found to exist, and have advantages
> >over other types of evolution. [See "Artificial Life",
> >Vol 2, No 2, "Preadaptaions in populations of Neural Networks"]
>
> OK, I read it and found that in a rather simplistic alife simulation
> a structure evolved in a 16-neuron net can be co-opted for a very
> similar purpose (finding a new variant of abstract food after the
> one it has adapted to has disappeared). I would still call it an
> adaptation. We use our brains to send e-mail even though it
> obviously wasn't an evolutionary adaptation for that purpose. Would
> you call the human brain an exaptation?

Yes.

-- 
David Leeper         dleeper@gte.net
Homo Deus            http://home1.gte.net/dleeper/index.htm
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