Re: Lack of evolution in computers and living things

Rupert Morrish wrote:
Tim Tyler wrote:
On Jun 14, 2:27 am, William Morse <wdNOSPAmo...@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
wrote:
Seanpit wrote or quoted:

More broadly, if a software model of evolution is possible, ordinary
personal computers should be able to evolve wholly new, unexpected
features that are somehow advantageous to them or their software. For
example, computers might acquire the ability to activate other helpful
programs, network with other computers, use the telephone, identify
and disarm harmful viruses, automatically backup themselves, survive
crashes, etc. All of these improvements would require new computer
code. Since computer programs are transferred constantly, and
duplicated, and mistakes are inserted occasionally, just as in
biology, the opportunity for existing computer programs to evolve by
the Darwinian method is already in place.
The above paragraph would tend to indicate that you don't understand
evolution by natural selection. Personal computers do not exhibit excess
reproduction or heritable variation [...] the expectation
that they should evolve under current conditions is unrealistic.

Personal computer *designs* do exhibit reproduction and heritable
variation -
and since the designs evolve, and personal computers are part of their
phenotype, personal computers do indeed evolve.

Indeed, they /have/, in point of fact, developed abilities to use the
telephone, identify and disarm harmful viruses, automatically
backup themselves up, etc. in the process.

No, they haven't. Those abilities were designed into them by intelligent designers.

Who were unable to create the designs de novo - they had to evolve the designs.

Actually my point was that computers have not been allowed to evolve through natural selection. Tim correctly pointed out that they have evolved through artificial selection.

Yours,

Bill Morse

.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Lack of evolution in computers and living things
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  • Re: Computer being developed modeled after human brain
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