(c) John, Rekesh 2004-2008. No part of this work may be copied or reproduced without the author's permission
11. Tree of Knowledge (Part 3)
“I see. Now why do you need mutations? Why can’t just the pressure of selection alone do it?”
“Oh no! Mutations and cross-over are very important, for they are the only source of variation, or variety in behavior in my world. It is these that create different tendencies or natures within my creatures. You know, to explore the unexplored, express new facets of behavior hitherto untouched. Without them, evolution can get stuck in a local maxima and never progress further.”
“Local maxima? What does that mean?”
“Well, it is easier to describe with a picture. Consider evolution as climbing a hill. The higher you get, the better your solution. But when you reach the summit, you see that there is another hill close by, its summit far above yours. It represents a better solution to the problem. You have done very well, getting to where you are now. But you have no way of getting to the other hill without climbing down first. And you can’t, because your genes will need to regress and back-slide, dragging you down the hill and then up the other. You are now stuck in what we call a local maxima, unable to get to the bigger one.”
“So how do you get to the bigger one?”
“The answer is mutation. Mutation essentially creates variety so that many hills can be explored simultaneously, and it can also force you down from the top of your small hill so you can try another. And this is what parasites in other simulations also help accomplish.”
“I think I understand mutations now. But how do parasites help? Aren’t they destructive or evil, preventing progress?”
“From a higher perspective, not at all ! To the creatures themselves they might be anathema, but in the higher scheme of things they are actually beneficial to the gene pool. They make sure that the race to the summit happens much faster, and even drags creatures down from a local maxima into the valleys so that there is again potential for progress by climbing up another hill. And they make quick work of the congenitally weak ones.”
“So if you take an individual perspective, parasites are deadly and evil, but from a collective evolutionary perspective they are actually beneficial? And they even arise spontaneously?”
“Correct! And it would be surprising if they did not arise spontaneously. They are part and parcel of evolution.”
“I see. So mutations generate variety, a selection process of reward and punishment ensures that progress is made, and parasites greatly speed up the process. Is that correct?”
“Well, yes, if you consider evolution in the context of solving a given problem. The term reward and punishment may be considered as applicable to genes as they wax and wane in the gene pool. But for the creatures that they represent, it is a matter of life or death! And it is important to note that evolution in nature, for all we know, is open-ended, meaning that there are no pre-defined sets of problems out there for which existence wants us to find, or become, solutions. The environment is the deciding factor in all cases.”
“I see, so evolution is, what shall I say, without any motive or purpose?”
“Yes. We know of none and there can’t be any. Now if I were to attribute purposeful evolution to nature, which I would not obviously…” Robert went on, “I would say that nature is not too concerned about individuals per se, but rather with a species as a whole.”
“Hmm... That is very interesting,” Aliyah nodded gently. “And what did you finally conclude from your simulations?”
“Ah! That is a very good question,” beamed Robert. “Are you ready for this?”
“Sure,” she smiled.
“Okay, now note that all of my worlds were governed by unwritten rules or laws. No two worlds were identical but the laws behind them were always the same. Understand what I mean?”
“Well, I can guess!”
“To take an example, the natural world we see around us here differs from what you see in, say Tibet or India, but the laws of nature are still the same. Similarly the worlds seen by different generations of my species were all different, but the nature of the snakes, the birds and their relationships were always the same. It was never the same snake or the same bird in all the subsequent worlds, and they were never even in the same locations. The size of their population varied as well. The birds never flew the same distances or nested in the same trees. Nor were the trees always in one place, for their population, too, varied. The same was true of the snakes as well. The rules or laws of their relationships were hidden, as it were.”
“I see.”
“Now the amazing part! My creatures were able to discover those laws and use them to their advantage, without being told, and without any engineering on my part. All I provided was the potential and the drive. Isn’t that wonderful? Now look at Mother Nature, run by laws such as those we know of in physics. What is a possible conclusion?”
“Perhaps evolution has discovered many laws of nature and applied them in its creatures?”
“Precisely! I am convinced that nature is extremely high-tech, way beyond our current understanding. Consider photosynthesis, the key to life on earth, and we are still struggling to unravel its nitty-gritty details. Or take an even simpler example. Apples float, whereas potatoes sink. Nature discovered the laws of buoyancy before we did, and found a way to transport seeds of life across the waters. You can bet that it has even used quantum effects somewhere along the way, perhaps in our very minds and brains!”
While this was an interesting conclusion, Aliyah felt that much was left unsaid. The discovery and application of natural laws through evolution came as quite a surprise. Here was a tree of knowledge indeed! Was it possible that physical evolution was an analogue, a reflection, of a greater evolution above? Was there a greater tree of knowledge in the spirit that was being explored? Were there selective pressures forcing spiritual evolution towards the light? For her last question, there was indeed a force she was aware of, a spiritual law that was often called the law of sowing and reaping.
“I hope Robert helped clarify things for you!” commented Theo, as they walked towards the parking lot.
“It’s fantastic!” replied Aliyah dreamily. “I never suspected evolution to be such a powerful force.”
Theo smiled happily and pressed her closer to him. He felt he had finally made his point.
For Aliyah, the discussion had raised more questions than it had answered, and opened up new vistas for inquiry. She was now determined to explore further.
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