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Practical spinoffs of evolutionary research


spamandham

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One of the hallmarks of legitimate science is that it results in usefull knowledge. I've identified a few things that are direct spinoffs of evolutionary research: gene therapy, genetic algorithms, new evolutionary economic and sociology theories.

 

What else?

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Guest Joseph
One of the hallmarks of legitimate science is that it results in usefull knowledge.  I've identified a few things that are direct spinoffs of evolutionary research: gene therapy, genetic algorithms, new evolutionary economic and sociology theories.

 

What else?

 

Genetic Medicine.

 

Stem Cell Research (?) probably relates to some degree.

 

DNA findings of outside genetic influences (when a virus is adopted into a lifeform or perhaps how the Malaria disease is like an algae).

 

There is more but my brain hurts.

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IIRC, there are internet routers today with GA (genetic algorithms) to optimize network traffic.

 

And there are systems in production right now to modulate the flow in oil pipelines, using GA.

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Check this out. Pretty cool huh? :wicked:

 

Transcript from the video :

 

Evolutionary Antenna Synthesis

 

Designing and optimizing antennas by hand are time and labor intensive, are costly, complexity is limited, and requires significant expertise and experience.

 

The Evolvable Systems group at NASA Ames Research Center tackled a challenging antenna design problem for NASA's Space Technology 5 mission.

They've come up with a computer program that searches for superior designs by repeatedly taking the best antenna designs and using them as parents - t breed new ones.

 

Thirty five networked computers running advanced evolutionary algorithms, generating hundreds of thousands of antenna designs.

 

These survivors go on to produce ever-higher performing populations, leaving but a few superior designs.

 

Evolutionary Antenna Synthesis has the potential to design better and less costly antennas, faster than before.

 

The evolved antenna is currently underoing tests that will tell if it is qualified to launch with three satellites on the Space Technology 5 mission in 2004.

 

If successful, this evolved antenna will be the first evolved object to fly in space.

 

 

NASA article :

 

 

John Bluck June 14, 2004

 

NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif.

 

Phone: 650/604-5026 or 604-9000

 

E-mail: jbluck@mail.arc.nasa.gov

RELEASE: 04-55AR

NASA 'EVOLUTIONARY' SOFTWARE AUTOMATICALLY DESIGNS ANTENNA

 

NASA artificial intelligence (AI) software - working on a network of personal computers - has designed a satellite antenna scheduled to orbit Earth in 2005.

 

The antenna, able to fit into a one-inch space (2.5 by 2.5 centimeters), can receive commands and send data to Earth from the Space Technology 5 (ST5) satellites. The three satellites - each no bigger than an average TV set - will help scientists study magnetic fields in Earth's magnetosphere. NASA scientists have spent two years developing the evolutionary AI software that designed the antenna.

 

"The AI software examined millions of potential antenna designs before settling on a final one," said project lead Jason Lohn, a scientist at NASA's Ames Research Center, located in California's Silicon Valley. "Through a process patterned after Darwin's 'survival of the fittest,' the strongest designs survive and the less capable do not."

 

The software started with random antenna designs and through the evolutionary process, refined them. The computer system took about 10 hours to complete the initial antenna design process. "We told the computer program what performance the antenna should have, and the computer simulated evolution, keeping the best antenna designs that approached what we asked for. Eventually, it zeroed in on something that met the desired specifications for the mission," Lohn said.

 

"Not only can the software work fast, but it can adapt existing designs quickly to meet changing mission requirements," he said. Following the first design of the ST5 satellite antenna, NASA Ames scientists used the software to 're-invent' the antenna design in less than a month to meet new specifications - a very quick turn-around in the space hardware redesign process.

 

Scientists also can use the evolutionary AI software to invent and create new structures, computer chips and even machines, according to Lohn. "We are now using the software to design tiny microscopic machines, including gyroscopes, for spaceflight navigation," he ventured.

 

Four NASA Ames computer scientists wrote the AI evolutionary program that operates on 120 personal computers, which work as a team. The scientists wrote the AI software because it can create designs faster than a human being can do so.

 

"The software also may invent designs that no human designer would ever think of," Lohn asserted. In addition, the software also can plan devices that are smaller, lighter, consume less power, are stronger and more robust among many other things - characteristics that spaceflight requires, according to Lohn.

 

The Office of Exploration Systems at NASA Headquarters, Washington, is funding development of NASA Evolutionary software. Detailed information is on the Internet at:

 

http://ic.arc.nasa.gov/projects/esg

 

Space Technology 5 satellite details are on the Internet at:

 

http://nmp.jpl.nasa.gov/st5

 

Publication-size images and an on-line video are available on the World Wide Web at:

 

http://amesnews.arc.nasa.gov/releases/2004...na/antenna.html

 

http://amesnews.arc.nasa.gov/releases/2004...a/computer.html

 

 

 

 

A direct use for the evolutionary theory! not exclusive to biology anymore. :grin:

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