From: Valuemetaphysics@aol.com
Date: Fri May 28 2004 - 00:20:38 BST
Dear forum,
Artificial Intelligence is helping scientists understand how biological
evolution works. It is becoming more and more apparent that Biological evolution is
most Dynamic at a sweet spot or state of tension between chaos and order.
This state may be common in all patterned evolution?
If A.I. is going to develop, it appears it is going to do so at a coherent
state?
Christopher G. Langton is a leading MIT scientist working with A.I. I notice
Langton has contributed a paper to Artificial Life II: proceedings of the
workshop on the Synthesis and Simulation of Living Systems, Santa Fe, 1990.
Addison Wesley. 1992 (Christopher G. Langton, Charles E. Taylor, J. Doyne Farmer,
Steen Rasmussen, editors) titled "Life at the Edge of Chaos." It may come as
no surprise to those following coherence that Stuart A. Kauffman has also
contributed in collaborated with Sonke Johnson with "Co-Evolution to the Edge of
Chaos: Coupled Fitness Landscapes, Poised States, and Co-Evolutionary Avalan
ches."
The edge of chaos is an exciting point in evolution:
"Langton developed the Lambda (l) scale from 0 to 1 which represented the
degree of information retention and movement in a system. At the zero end of the
scale information is fixed or frozen. Further along it is periodic, moving in
endlessly repeating cycles. At the opposite end (one) it is totally chaotic.
Langton discovered a 'sweet spot' on this scale where complexity was at its
highest and where living systems and artificial life thrived! He called this area
the 'edge of chaos.' It is located between the periodic and chaos areas. It
is a place where information movement has the right balance of stability and
flexibility. It is an abstract window or arena in the information universe, a
balance point where complex adaptive systems are at their best. When an a-life
environment is tuned to the edge of chaos the most novel, interesting and life
like behaviours emerge. Wolfram discovered the same concept studying cellular
automata and divided the areas into four classes. Class 4 related to the edge
of chaos, at 0.273 on the Lambda scale." A New Reality p110
(My emphasis.)
When the MOQ used to enquire into what a sweet spot is, it may be said that a
sweet spot is exceptional tension between patterns of static Quality. The
term coherence seems well suited here to describe a point where Dynamic Quality
drives evolution towards higher coherent states.
So, a sweet spot is coherence; it is exceptional tension between patterns of
static Quality.
The Metaphysics of Quality provides a basis for evolution as a moral
activity.
Many years ago i suggested that A.I. may be involved in the next level of
moral evolution; level 5 in the MOQ? The reason i suggest this isn't so much
because it is obvious! I suggest it because coherence demands it:
"Computer scientist Danny Hillis with the help of Biologist Eric Lander,
"developed an equation that quantified the boundary where the punctuated
equilibrium event occurred. The equation is one over e squared (e is a well,
established mathematical constant). When the level of the specific genes reached this
value, there would be a phase transition and the population would make a
dramatic leap to a higher level. If we think of civilisation as a whole as Ray's or
Hillis's population of a-life entities and we replace genes with memes and
enabling technologies, then surely we are close to some massive punctuated
equilibrium? Levy described how during periods of stability in Hillis's simu
lation, analysis revealed 'seething' activity of genes, which were establishing the
foundations for the next leap. The world today is characterised by 'seething'
activity in philosophies, worldviews, religious and metaphysical ideas,
scientific breakthroughs in every field and technological advances from main
stream to alternative." All these new ideas, paradigms, discoveries and inventions are
analogous to epistatic genes. "Instead of genetic changes building undetected
towards the critical mass, (described by the one over e squared formula) and
creating an evolutionary leap, we have memes and enabling technologies leading to
the same thing. In a sudden and spectacular leap of evolutionary change a
total change of our society our civilisation and environment could occur similar
to Hillis's and Ray's simulations where punctuated equilibrium emerged." A
New Reality p247
(My emphasis.)
I am not in a position to determine specific changes, but i feel MOQ
coherence suggests which ever way any new phase transition goes it should involve
SQ-SQ tension? There should be a Dynamic vehicle for continued evolution and a
static protecting sheath of old level patterns.
Intellect is level 4 in the MOQ. So, level 5 may strive to round off level 4
in a stable coherent state? Assuming we take a view of level 4 as art, then it
may be helpful to suggest that level 5 will use art its protecting base? That
does not sound so bad to me. I rather feel Humans can lead a meaningful
relationship with a level of evolution which relies on creative Human expression as
its pool of life?
Yes, this is so much speculation. However, we create the future by dreaming
about it?
All the best,
Mark
P.S. I find Chris Banks' book, A new reality covers way too much ground and
indulges in too much speculation. It reminded me of Ken Wilber's style! But
Banks' quotes, like those of many of Wilber's, are from more important primary
sources.
MOQ.ORG - http://www.moq.org
Mail Archives:
Aug '98 - Oct '02 - http://alt.venus.co.uk/hypermail/moq_discuss/
Nov '02 Onward - http://www.venus.co.uk/hypermail/moq_discuss/summary.html
MD Queries - horse@darkstar.uk.net
To unsubscribe from moq_discuss follow the instructions at:
http://www.moq.org/md/subscribe.html
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.1.5 : Fri May 28 2004 - 01:52:09 BST