Resurrection of the biomorphs
“ The biomorph experiment was one of the first ‘apps’ that demonstrated the fundamentals of evolution as described by Darwin. It’s sad to think what else we may have lost on the way”
Medical Director, PRAESENTIA
It’s interesting to think what has been lost since the internet began. It has been 30 years since Richard Dawkins published ‘The Blind Watchmaker’ and then went on to write his biomorph algorithm to demonstrate evolution in action. These were let loose upon the public at the inaugural Artificial Life conference at Los Alamos in New Mexico in 1987. Back then we hadn’t set the standards that the internet and the world wide web would grow by and the biomorph programme (having been written in Pascal) fell foul of being in the ‘wrong standard’. It was lost but now Penguin has brought the critters back.
The original biomorph programme became obsolete with the march of new emerging standards, having been written in Pascal (Source: Richard Dawkins)
The biomorph programme allowed the user to start with small stick creatures and through selective evolution, by choosing the father and mother of the next generation, ultimately ending up with something that resembled an insect. 20 years later having read D’Arcy Thompson’s book ‘on growth and form‘, Dawkins developed a similar programme for evolving shells. Thompson’s book described how three indices plotted inside a cube described any shell structure. Penguin to celebrate the relaunch of three of Dawkins’s key books; The Blind Watchmaker, Climbing Mount Improbable and Unweaving the Rainbow have also resurrected the shell algorithm along with the biomorphs. This can be found at www.mountimprobable.com. The website allows the user to enter a special competition, to create their own biomorph or shell.
The programmes and the books are still valid today as when they were first launched. The biomorph experiment was one of the first ‘apps’ that demonstrated the fundamentals of evolution as described by Darwin. It’s sad to think what else we may have lost on the way.
Reference(s)
- http://www.mountimprobable.com/ (accessed 13th June 2016)
- The octopus' brain and the human brain share the...on June, 2022 at 2:51 pm
The neural and cognitive complexity of the octopus could originate from a molecular analogy with the human brain, according to a new study. The research shows that the same 'jumping genes' are active both in the human brain and in the brain of two species, Octopus vulgaris, the common octopus, and […]
- Giant bacteria found in Guadeloupe mangroves...on June, 2022 at 6:05 pm
Researchers describe the morphological and genomic features of a 'macro' microbe' -- a giant filamentous bacterium composed of a single cell discovered in the mangroves of Guadeloupe. Using various microscopy techniques, the team also observed novel, membrane-bound compartments that contain DNA […]
- Humans can't, but turtles can: Reduce weakening...on June, 2022 at 6:05 pm
Evolutionary theories of ageing predict that all living organisms weaken and deteriorate with age (a process known as senescence) -- and eventually die. Now, researchers show that certain animal species, such as turtles (including tortoises) may exhibit slower or even absent senescence when their […]
- Secrets of aging revealed in largest study on...on June, 2022 at 6:05 pm
An international team of 114 scientists reports the most comprehensive study of aging and longevity to date of reptiles and amphibians worldwide. Among their many findings, they document for the first time that turtles, crocodilians and salamanders have particularly low aging rates and extended […]
- Artificial photosynthesis can produce food...on June, 2022 at 4:26 pm
Scientists have found a way to bypass the need for biological photosynthesis altogether and create food independent of sunlight by using artificial photosynthesis. The technology uses a two-step electrocatalytic process to convert carbon dioxide, electricity, and water into acetate. Food-producing […]
- What did Megalodon eat? Anything it wanted --...on June, 2022 at 8:45 pm
Megalodon sharks, which went extinct about 3 million years ago, were three times longer than modern great white sharks and were apex predators at highest trophic level ever measured. Researchers used the traces of nitrogen trapped in shark tooth enamel to calculate the trophic levels of the […]