[ExI] Evolution "for the Good of the Group"

[Mike Dougherty]

On Fri, Sep 19, 2008 at 6:13 PM, The Avantguardian
<avantguardian2020 at yahoo.com> wrote:
> The good news is that the Ramsey Theorem makes it nearly impossible in sufficiently large networks that at least a few individuals don't cooperate, even if it is entirely by accident. In other words small groups of the stupidest pieces of protoplasm will inadvertantly cooperate by sheer random chance if there is a enough of them and as soon as they do, they will aquire a selective advantage over their non-cooperative neighbors as long as they can somehow recognize their own.

What you describe remind me of liquid gathering into drops and drops
into puddles.  In a sufficiently large field of evenly distributed
small drops, there is little required action to become part of a
puddle.  This game may not be a perfect example, but it has an
interesting dynamic as levels increase:
http://www.1cup1coffee.com/fl/mercurydrops.swf

Do you get a "feel" for what I'm saying?  Does this agree with your
original point?