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<DIV></FONT><FONT face=Arial><FONT face=Tahoma><FONT color=#0000ff><FONT
size=2><B>Of </B>Natasha Vita-More<BR><B>Subject:</B> RE: [extropy-chat]
evolution again<BR><BR></FONT></FONT></FONT><FONT color=#0000ff size=2>Thanks
Spike — just the right touch to accompany my morning coffee.<SPAN
class=851074504-01122004> </SPAN>Natasha<BR><BR></FONT><FONT color=#0000ff
size=2><SPAN class=851074504-01122004>...</SPAN></FONT><FONT
color=#0000ff><FONT size=2>We are trying to understand<SPAN
class=851074504-01122004> </SPAN>why humans have this oddball shape with the
curiously oversized subsystems such as genitals, heads and butts (possibly in
that order).<SPAN
class=851074504-01122004>..</SPAN></FONT></FONT></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=851074504-01122004></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff size=2></FONT></FONT><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff
size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN
class=851074504-01122004>Natasha you are too kind.</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN
class=851074504-01122004></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN class=851074504-01122004>The
reason I am hammering this topic is that the evolution
memeset</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN class=851074504-01122004>seems
to be failing to prosper, possibly losing ground in many </SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN
class=851074504-01122004>important ways. I have a notion for how to
advance it.</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN
class=851074504-01122004></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN class=851074504-01122004>Our
current descriptive approach to evolution education is
getting</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN class=851074504-01122004>ever
more competition for scarce classroom hours from other
sciences</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN class=851074504-01122004>that
are more mathematized </SPAN></FONT><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN
class=851074504-01122004>and thus suffer less from the ambiguity
</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN class=851074504-01122004>of
words. To advance </SPAN></FONT><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff
size=2><SPAN class=851074504-01122004>the understanding of evolution thus
requires </SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN class=851074504-01122004>it to
be more </SPAN></FONT><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN
class=851074504-01122004>mathematized, </SPAN></FONT><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN class=851074504-01122004>like physics and
chemistry.</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN
class=851074504-01122004></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN class=851074504-01122004>I
propose the following system as a start.</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN
class=851074504-01122004></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN class=851074504-01122004>Think
of physical structures in humans (since we know a lot about</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN class=851074504-01122004>human
anatomy) and try to decide its cost and its benefit in terms</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN class=851074504-01122004>of
survival of the individual. Having </SPAN></FONT><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN class=851074504-01122004>a muscle that is larger than
</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN
class=851074504-01122004>necessary has a survival cost: it uses up more
calories, thus</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN
class=851074504-01122004>requiring Mr. Universe to slay and devour more and
larger beasts.</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN
class=851074504-01122004>Likewise with our heads: highly vascular, lots of heat
loss, see</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN
class=851074504-01122004>above. Larger penises: larger vulnerable target
in a fight with</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN class=851074504-01122004>both
man and beast.</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN
class=851074504-01122004></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN class=851074504-01122004>But
all three of these may have their benefits too: larger butts</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN class=851074504-01122004>might
help us run for instance. So the exercise is to
estimate</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN class=851074504-01122004>the
ratio of cost to benefit of a structure. But do it two
different</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN class=851074504-01122004>ways:
from a mating attractiveness point of view and from a</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN
class=851074504-01122004>strictly survival point of view. So you should
get two numbers</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN class=851074504-01122004>for
every system.</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN
class=851074504-01122004></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN class=851074504-01122004>Take
the penis. (No, not THAT definition of take, dammit, pay
attention.)</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN class=851074504-01122004>Its
survival cost to benefit ratio Rs is surely larger than 1. But
its</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN class=851074504-01122004>mating
attractiveness cost to benefit ratio Ra is less than 1.
So</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN class=851074504-01122004>we can
multiply the two ratios together to get an overall
evolutionary</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN class=851074504-01122004>cost
</SPAN></FONT><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN
class=851074504-01122004>to benefit ratio. If that overall ratio is
greater than 1,</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN class=851074504-01122004>we
might expect that structure to evolve smaller.</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN
class=851074504-01122004></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN class=851074504-01122004>Rs =
survival cost to benefit ratio</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN class=851074504-01122004>Ra =
mating attractiveness cost to benefit ratio</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN class=851074504-01122004>Re =
evolutionary cost to benefit ratio</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN
class=851074504-01122004></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN class=851074504-01122004>Re =
Rs * Ra</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN
class=851074504-01122004></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN class=851074504-01122004>For
the penis:</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN
class=851074504-01122004></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN class=851074504-01122004>Rs(p)
> 1</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN class=851074504-01122004>Ra(p)
< 1</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN class=851074504-01122004>Re(p)
~ 1</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN
class=851074504-01122004></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN
class=851074504-01122004>Equilibrium is established when Rep ~
1</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN
class=851074504-01122004></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN
class=851074504-01122004>Nowthen, in a previous post, I suggested that humans
evolved</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN class=851074504-01122004>in a
tropical climate, but some humans left the tropics for colder,
harsher</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN
class=851074504-01122004>climates, which required them to wrap themselves in the
skins</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN class=851074504-01122004>of the
beasts they slew. This hid the genitals, which
supressed</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN class=851074504-01122004>the Ra
of the penis, which caused the product Re(p) to go greater</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN class=851074504-01122004>than
1, which caused the penis of those cold-weather adapted
humans</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN class=851074504-01122004>to
evolve smaller, so that Re(p) adjusts itself back to approximately
1,</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN class=851074504-01122004>which
defines evolutionary equilibrium of that structure.</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN
class=851074504-01122004></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN class=851074504-01122004>With
technology, that equilibrium is suddenly and wildly reversed,
for </SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN class=851074504-01122004>today
</SPAN></FONT><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN
class=851074504-01122004>nearly </SPAN></FONT><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff
size=2><SPAN class=851074504-01122004>all humans live in the tropics, in a
sense: we reside indoors </SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN class=851074504-01122004>with
</SPAN></FONT><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN
class=851074504-01122004>heaters. Moderns evidently do choose
mates based partially on</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN class=851074504-01122004>the
size of his </SPAN></FONT><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN
class=851074504-01122004>genitals, so Ra(p) is now amplified. Moderns
seldom perish </SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN class=851074504-01122004>from
having </SPAN></FONT><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN
class=851074504-01122004>oversized genitals, so Rs(p) is now the
coefficient that is </SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN
class=851074504-01122004>suppressed, </SPAN></FONT><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN class=851074504-01122004>causing the product Re(p) to
go less than one, which would </SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN class=851074504-01122004>cause
</SPAN></FONT><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN
class=851074504-01122004>humans to evolve in a delightful
direction.</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN
class=851074504-01122004></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN class=851074504-01122004>If
this notion holds in general, then it may help us come up with successful
</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN
class=851074504-01122004>mathematical </SPAN></FONT><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN class=851074504-01122004>models for evolution.
A working mathematical model </SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN class=851074504-01122004>allows
us to write computer simulations of evolution. </SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN
class=851074504-01122004></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN class=851074504-01122004>A
digital </SPAN></FONT><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN
class=851074504-01122004>version of Clarke's law would suggest that any
sufficiently advanced</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN
class=851074504-01122004>computer simulation is indistinguishable from
reality. </SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN
class=851074504-01122004></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN class=851074504-01122004>So if
we </SPAN></FONT><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN
class=851074504-01122004>figure out how to simulate evolution on a computer, we
should</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN class=851074504-01122004>be
able to run it forward to predict the singularity, or more </SPAN></FONT><FONT
face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN class=851074504-01122004>specifically,
</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN class=851074504-01122004>to
create the singularity.</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN
class=851074504-01122004></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN
class=851074504-01122004>spike</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN
class=851074504-01122004></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN
class=851074504-01122004></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN
class=851074504-01122004></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN
class=851074504-01122004></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN
class=851074504-01122004></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN
class=851074504-01122004></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN
class=851074504-01122004></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN
class=851074504-01122004></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN
class=851074504-01122004></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN
class=851074504-01122004></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN
class=851074504-01122004></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
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