Evolution themes 2; Dark Mutation Hypothesis

submitted by Marginotions from self.evolution

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[–]Marginotions[S] 2 insightful - 2 fun2 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 2 fun -  (2 children)

Controlled evolution, ways for directing

I think you mean self-directed. So far the standard means are: Natural, Sexual, and Artificial. Closest to self-direction is Artificial in the sense that self-originated behavior can have evolutionary effects in cognates and allies. For example, native Americans cultivated maize from a dinky-seeded weed into a marvelous food crop, but it took them something like ten thousand years. In order to control genetic systems, the operational parameters need to be understood to the point of ability to manipulate them. Genetic research is moving that way, it's a coming thing.

What's more in line with really controlling evolution is within complex machines which are much better understood and totally malleable design-wise. So I expect robots/computers to advance far faster than any genetic organism. So (for want of a better word) robots will become the new dominant life-form in this solar system. Pray they respect us enough to let us survive. (And by us, I mean a better form of human than exists now, so they will have more reasons for respect.)

[–]Comatoast 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

So.. replicators ala Stargate SG-1?

[–][deleted] 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

Natural

There are two types of natural evolution. When cells just randomly mutate since that's what all cells do. And when the organism enforces its selection criteria and kills unfit cells by overworking or murdering them. The second can be seen as something close to artificial evolution since some of these processes can be initiated by the mind. Multicellular species that only have access to the first type, would turn into old ugly hags with incompatible cells pretty fast.

robots/computers to advance far faster

They can, if they want. If you force them to always desire progress in one direction, they can progress so fast it will quickly turn into a dystopia. If you allow them to have freedom, they may completely abandon the idea of progress and create a different type of dystopia. Our desire for progress comes from experience. Pain, weakness, inevitability. Will immortal machines see the world the way we see it? They seem closer to asuras than to humans.