self-organizing circuit evolves into radio receiver
at the university of sussex, a couple guys simulated gene-mixing through the use of a multi-transistor circuit with self-programmable switches allowing for countless configurations controlled by a program that's designed to seek the most efficient use of circuitry on it's own, with the eventual goal of becoming an oscillator [a repeater of electronic signals]. after letting the program run for several thousand "generations", what they found was that instead of becoming an oscillator itself, it had evolved into a radio receiver picking up a signal from a nearby computer and delivering that as its own output. the scientists don't know how yet, but apparently the program all by itself figured out that it could do that. one of the scientists added, "there's probably one sudden key mutation that enabled radio frequencies to be picked up.". it even formed its own antenna by reconfiguring a particularly long track in the circuit board. now that's kick-ass. Matt @ 1:17 PM