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from the no-way-to-charge-the-batteries-is-a-robot-disaster dept.
A computer science team at The University of Texas at Austin has found that robots evolve more quickly and efficiently after a virtual mass extinction modeled after real-life disasters such as the one that killed off the dinosaurs. Beyond its implications for artificial intelligence, the research supports the idea that mass extinctions actually speed up evolution by unleashing new creativity in adaptations.
Computer scientists Risto Miikkulainen and Joel Lehman co-authored the study published today in the journal PLOS One, which describes how simulations of mass extinctions promote novel features and abilities in surviving lineages.
"Focused destruction can lead to surprising outcomes," said Miikkulainen, a professor of computer science at UT Austin. "Sometimes you have to develop something that seems objectively worse in order to develop the tools you need to get better."
The original article from Science Daily.
The original source from The University of Texas.
The abstract of the study published in PLOS One.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday August 14 2015, @01:07AM
I suspect we came from an isolated group of apes in an area where trees were gradually disappearing on all sides. These apes had to defends themselves more often with sticks and stones because there were fewer trees to hide in, and apes are not particular quick on the ground. After a while they evolved proficient enough with sticks and stones to either hunt with them on a regular basis, or to steal meat from other animals using the power of numbers, not unlike hyenas. Our initial defense became our offense and we became the first in an untapped niche.