Re: failure

On 30 Sep 2005 11:00:22 +0200, David Brown
<david@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

>John Larkin wrote:
>> On 29 Sep 2005 11:22:40 +0200, David Brown
>> <david@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>>
>>
>>
>>>Evolution is, for the most part, a slow process - and changing something
>>>as fundamental as the DNA would be even slower. It is unlikely that a
>>>minor change will lead to major improvement, so there is little chance
>>>of serious changes occurring.
>>
>>
>> That's the heart of my conjecture: why should DNA wait for slow random
>> mutations to alter an organism (its host) when the host is threatened
>> with extinction? Any creature that had superior adaptive mechanisms
>> would win, so evolution at some point must look on itself, the very
>> mechanisms of evolution, as something to be worked on.
>>
>> So it becomes a software issue, high-level self-modifying algorithms,
>> not just cosmic rays and wet stuff.
>>
>> There's nothing mystical here: DNA need not be conscious to be clever.
>>
>> John
>>
>
>I have several points here. First off, fast evolution is not
>necessarily a good thing - it can lead to over-specialisation,

And defects, and cancer.

> in which
> a species is ideally suited for its current environment, but is not
>general enough to deal with changes as an individual. This has lead to
>the demise of many species, even with seemingly minor environmental changes.

So, it would seem to be advantageous to slow down evolution when
things are stable, but be able to crank up the rate radically in times
of threat. Does that sound reasonable? Does that sound impossible?

John


.

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