“A human is that animal that breaks out of the animal kingdom by creating machines.”
- Bruce Mazlish
Do thingums really evolve?
Sure feels that way whenever the made world spirals out of control.
For evolution to work in the bioworld, you only need four things...a changing context, a mechanism for newness, a method for selection, and a way to record the changes into the next round. That is how change makes it possible for species with new adaptive traits to be selected for reproduction and pass them on to the next generation.
Is there a similar kind of geegaw evolution?
Could be.
The changing context is the morphing world of the Gizmos. The mechanism for newness is our incessant fiddling and permanent dissatisfaction with the way things are. The selection process is a complex interaction of technical, industrial, social, economic and natural systems that boost some developments and delete others. Each round of changes is passed on because the system is ongoing. All this alters the system itself, which creates the context for a new round of change.
Of course, it is easy to overuse the word evolution. The theory is broad enough to explain just about anything and so people have tried to do...from the way money moves to methods for creating a master race. Darwin did not even use the word evolution in Origin of the Species, preferring instead to rely on the more generic term transformation. Even so, the principles were almost immediately applied to other unnatural systems...T.H. Huxley wrote about machine evolution and Samuel Butler pointed out that mankind’s changing needs provided an impetus for the natural selection of machines.
You could say that since we consciously make choices, this is not really evolution at all – any more than animal breeding is – because evolution is about random changes that last. Without random change, no natural selection, and therefore no evolution.
But that is too literal to be fun.
And the key point – the motive behind evolutionary views in general – is that systems become increasingly complex as a result of tiny unguided alterations. In other words, systems are self-ordering and no one is in charge. I am reminded of this every time I take my dog for a walk.
For 20,000 years the descendants of the animals known as Tomarctus and homo sapiens have grown increasingly interdependent. During this time we have imposed on them the process known as breeding which has evolved an entirely new animal known as Canis familiaris. At least 115 separate breeds are recognized by the American Kennel Club, in all their different looks, talents, and personalities.
My little terrier who can sit like a butler for hours until you rub his belly would seem to have as much in common with a wolf as I do with the Zippy the Monkey but that is the whole point…drastic change without a previous plan. The power of this idea also appealed to Darwin who based his ideas about natural selection in part on animal breeding.
But dogs have also changed us and altered our evolution. They could hear and smell so we could become watchers; they were alert so we could concentrate; loyal so we could wander; efficient trackers so we could have time to plan. Dogs may even have helped to make our entire Gizmos possible by allowing us to turn our backs to the cave door and fiddle with our tools. This is not to suggest that without Fido there would be no fax, but it is true of dynamic systems that the influences back and forth are broad and deep.
From a hunter with his hound to me and my cute pet in just a few tweaks of interdependent selection. No question that it is a complex changing world in which we whirl, hovering somewhere between the fungi and the angels. And the evolutionary notion is a good way to bring it all down to earth. So maybe thingums do evolve in a way and maybe Darwin would not roll over at the idea at all.
My dog, however, is another matter.
1 comment:
I knew it--we wouldn't have the iPad if hadn't been for the dogs--now it all makes some sense. Love your Darwoof too! --T
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