Nature is Metal

[Klaus]

@jon-nyc said in Nature is Metal:

@Klaus said in Nature is Metal:

@jon-nyc said in Nature is Metal:

@Doctor-Phibes said in Nature is Metal:

We have two possibilities - evolution or intelligent design. The hideous grossness of that seems beyond what could reasonably occur by random chance.

Natural selection is anything but random.

But the generation of variants is, to a degree, random. I think "genetic algorithms", for which randomness is essential and which are inspired by evolution, are a great illustration of how randomness can lead to highly sophisticated structures.

Ok, but natural selection is downstream from the (epistemically) random process of mutation. Like the reward mechanism of food discovery is downstream from the pseudo-random movement of the ants.

Yes. It's a search algorithm. First you generate variants, then you discard those that are shit.

[George K]

The circle of life death:

[Renauda]

Nothing in pond is safe from the invasion from the depths below; Giant Water Lillies!

Link to video

[Horace]

So water lillies are nature’s version of right wing populist coups. Terrifying.

[Renauda]

If you say so.

[Horace]

Link to video

[Horace]

Link to video

[George K]

Wow...

[Renauda]

@George-K

I wasn’t aware of that behaviour in zebras. I wonder if it is common to zebras or occurs in other wild equine species?

[George K]

@Renauda said in Nature is Metal:

@George-K

I wasn’t aware of that behaviour in zebras. I wonder if it occurs in other wild equine species?

Yeah, I was shocked. Storks are known to pitch the weakest hatchling out of the nest, but zebras?

[Renauda]

I know alpha male lions will kill the cubs of another male as will bears. But I have never heard of it among migratory grazing herd animals such as elk, cariboo or bison. But then…zebras live in Africa where the rules seem to be different for everything.

[George K]

@Renauda said in Nature is Metal:

alpha male lions will kill the cubs of another male as will bears

Had no idea. Amazing.

[George K]

https://wwnature.com/why-do-zebras-kill-foals/

[jon-nyc]

@George-K said in Nature is Metal:

@Renauda said in Nature is Metal:

alpha male lions will kill the cubs of another male as will bears

Had no idea. Amazing.

And the weird thing is, as soon as he’s done the mom gets frisky with him.

[Axtremus]

Link to video

[Mik]

@Horace said in Nature is Metal:

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More wood than metal I’d say.

[taiwan_girl]

@Axtremus Interesting that the hand sanitizer immediately made the snake "regurgitate" himself. I thought maybe the curve of his teeth or something was preventing that.

[George K]

@Mik said in Nature is Metal:

More wood than metal I’d say.

LLOL

[George K]

[Mik]

Love that laugh at the end.