So am I the last to know?

[hickman1937]

Apparently at Michigan State, scientists are proving that evolution works? I just got my copy of Discover, and a program called Avida is "not a simulation of evolution; it is an instance of it." Did anyone else read this. I can't post a link because they still have their Jan. issue up, and this is from Feb.

[pres2032]

1. how?

are they speeding up the process?

[hickman1937]

4. A physicist at Caltech set out to create the conditions

in which a computer program could evolve the ability to do addition. It would take me an hour, with my abysmal typing skills to describe what happened after that. They seem pretty excited though.

[shraby]

2. Nope, I'm the last to know.....

I got my copy of Discover and haven't read it yet.

[Mabus]

3. Here's some information on it

http://dllab.caltech.edu/avida/ It's downloadable

Avida is an auto-adaptive genetic system designed primarily for use as a platform in Digital or Artificial Life research. In lay terms, Avida is a digital world in which simple computer programs mutate and evolve.

Avida allows us to study questions and perform experiments in evolutionalry dynamics and theoretical biology that are intractable in real biological system.

P.S If it concerns evolution you can be sure there are millions of republicans who haven't heard of it. You're far from last :toast: