生物形态的复活
"生物形态实验是最早的'应用程序'之一,它证明了达尔文所描述的进化论的基本原理。想想我们在这条路上还可能失去了什么,真是令人痛心"
医疗总监,PRAESENTIA
想想互联网出现后失去了什么,真是有趣。自理查德-道金斯出版《盲人摸象》并撰写生物形态算法以展示进化过程以来,已经过去了 30 年。1987 年,在新墨西哥州洛斯阿拉莫斯举行的首届人工生命大会上,这些算法被公之于众。当时,我们还没有制定互联网和万维网的发展标准,而生物形态程序(用帕斯卡尔语言编写)由于采用了 "错误的标准 "而犯了错。它曾一度丢失,但现在企鹅公司又把它找了回来。
最初的生物形态程序是用帕斯卡尔语言编写的,随着新标准的出现而过时(资料来源:理查德-道金斯)
生物形态程序允许用户从小虫子开始,通过选择下一代的父亲和母亲,进行选择性进化,最终得到类似昆虫的生物。20 年后,道金斯读了达西-汤普森(D'Arcy Thompson)的《生长与形态》一书后,开发了一个类似的贝壳进化程序。汤普森在书中描述了在一个立方体内绘制的三个指数是如何描述任何贝壳结构的。企鹅出版社为了庆祝道金斯的三本重要著作《盲人钟表匠》、《攀登不可能山 》和《 编织彩虹 》的重新出版,也重新推出了贝壳算法和生物形态。详情请访问www.mountimprobable.com。该网站允许用户参加一项特别比赛,创造自己的生物形态或外壳。
如今,这些节目和书籍仍然有效,就像它们最初推出时一样。生物形态实验是最早的 "应用程序 "之一,它展示了达尔文所描述的进化论的基本原理。想想我们在这条路上还失去了什么,真是令人惋惜。
参考文献
- http://www.mountimprobable.com/ (accessed 13th June 2016)
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