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Natural Induction: Spontaneous Adaptive Organisation without Natural Selection.

Christopher L Buckley1, Tim Lewens2, Michael Levin3

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|September 27, 2024
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Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Natural selection may not be the only source of adaptation. Physical systems can achieve spontaneous adaptive organization through "natural induction," combining optimization and learning to improve problem-solving.

Keywords:
adaptationevolutionlearningoptimisationself-organisation

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Area of Science:

  • Physics
  • Complex Systems
  • Theoretical Biology

Background:

  • Natural selection is considered the primary driver of spontaneous adaptive organization.
  • Physical systems exhibit optimization (energy minimization) and learning (structural accommodation) independently.
  • These properties alone are insufficient for non-trivial adaptation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate if the combined interaction of physical optimization and learning can lead to spontaneous adaptive organization.
  • To introduce and define a new concept: adaptation by natural induction.
  • To challenge the exclusive role of natural selection in spontaneous adaptation.

Main Methods:

  • Studied dynamical systems with networks of viscoelastic connections.
  • Applied occasional disturbances to the systems.
  • Observed system behavior during recurrent cycles of disturbance, relaxation, and structural accommodation.

Main Results:

  • Recurrent interaction of physical optimization and learning results in significant spontaneous adaptive organization.
  • Systems learn to preferentially visit lower-energy states (improved solutions) with experience.
  • Adaptation by natural induction enhances problem-solving competency without external rewards or training.

Conclusions:

  • Adaptation by natural induction is a distinct mechanism for spontaneous adaptive organization.
  • This process differs from natural selection in its conditions and adaptive competency.
  • Natural selection is not the sole source of spontaneous adaptive organization in nature.