Karl Sims - Evolved Virtual Creatures, Evolution Simulation, 1994

[@electro_spectre]

this is easily one of the best videos I've ever seen, and I've come back to watch this every few years now. The narration really kills it

[@shivankitss8396]

🔔

[@JacobBite]

This is fucking fascinating, I need more.

[@cliftut]

5 years later, but there's a simulation sandbox/game called "Ecosystem" on steam that looks somewhat comparable in concept. I've been hoping someone would make something like that for a long time. I haven't tried it out yet, though. It does have a free demo.

[@Gastogh]

"Appropriate gestures" :D

[@halihammer]

03:05 "with appropriate gestures," I couldn't help laughing when I saw the two guys shaking their fists: Yo, dude, that's my cube!

[@MatthewLee8383]

Lots of "kill me"s

[@vinesauceobscurities]

"Why, god. Why have you forsaken me with this form?"

[@Dylankatz]

Sims still amazes me. This was way ahead of it's time.

[@GetToThePointAlready]

Still a better game than spore ever was...

[@FarSeenNomic]

this is SPORE 2.0 beta. You no longer get to upload AIs to the server, They actually evolve from scratch when it says 'generating world'. Please respond if you want me to continue.

[@GetToThePointAlready]

***** Pre-ordered yesterday ;)

[@FarSeenNomic]

***** Wait, what?

[@GetToThePointAlready]

***** Pre-ordered yesterday?

[@trenza2566]

@@GetToThePointAlready he will never get to know what

[@PureFalcon1]

I'd love to see this run for years.

[@demetriusjohnson5358]

it would likely/probably converge...all systems are deterministic in the end (finite possibilities, or converging to some finite value within those possibilities)

[@Crowborn]

This is amazing for the 90's!

[@scotchfaster]

One of the most impressive programs ever written. Even in 2011, this is still amazing.

[@silvertakana3932]

Even in 2022, it's still amazing!

[@NorthRoyalton]

What about now

[@luckyknot]

Even in 2024, it´s still amazing!

[@widepond28]

Am I the only one who actually laughed irl when he said "with the appropriate gestures..." LOL

[@ruschein]

No.

[@Karak-_-]

No, the whole class chuckled.

[@keshinishudan2536]

i love how in the beginning there everybody where content and happy, especially the guy at 0:37 and later with the introduction of objects and resources there was absolute chaos. So analogous with the curse that materialism has gifted us.

[@Cires1987]

0:37 i find this guy way to funny

[@jeremy729]

+Cires hahahaha

[@Trint3e]

TFW you're pissing and you hear gunfire

[@Gryzorz]

Just to be clear : this program uses random mutation and natural selection as they are thought to be happening as the result of observation. The output of an accelerated simulation of those 2 processes result in an observable evolution. This demonstrates that evolution of beautifully designed creatures/behavior CAN happen by random mutation and natural selection, without a designer. To be perfectly clear : nobody ever designed the "creatures" on this video, as hard as it can be to understand.

[@vishalhanumegowda6791]

This is so good that professors at the IITs in India are recommending this to their students. Kudos to you, sir!

[@detrolfire]

what would happen if we created a virtual world with "animals" that can evolve by them self , would they reach a point of evolving self consciousness and high intelligence then would start questioning like we do , who is our creator ??

[@prnfl]

Pedroesli Nascimento Search wikipedia for simulation hypothesis

[@Ramix09]

Pedroesli Nascimento It would be awesome. What else would you expect to happen? xD

[@richterdelgan123]

+Pedroesli Nascimento “Detrollfire” even create new espices or dna strain. that aplyes in biological and machanical

[@RedsBoneStuff]

Well, who is our creator?

[@1FbPT2]

I guess it would be possible if you had a computer that could simulate billions of creatures all with neural networks that have billions of neurons, but we are probably centuries away from that kind of power.

[@LowLevelLemmy]

so blown away

[@PanArt_]

Imagine this with some great voice overs! It would be the best thing on the internet

[@MediaArtTube]

@Hotface500 The video was produced 1994! The concept and algorithms implemented in breveCreatures are based on Karl Sims' work.

[@thetoontastictoon1720]

Very fascinating, I never knew basic ROBLOX-type creations could keep me so intrigued. This would be an interesting system to see in Spore, or some other evolution game with AI behaviors.

[@MicahBuzanANIMATION]

This is a scientific and artistic break through. The low poly count is really appealing.

[@GROMALOCARIS]

I wish I had a program like did to see what evolves... I would like to see if an underwater population turns into an ecosystem starting from creatures that are just 1 cube with a tail

[@megazion34]

Gigz Lopez 3dvce.wikia.com/wiki/Main_Page

[@czeckeredcat]

2:18 Just watched Interstellar and realized the CASE robot has arms just like this creature. You can see it when CASE rescues Brand from the tidal wave on Miller's planet.

[@phylliida]

If anyone is curious www.era.lib.ed.ac.uk/handle/1842/18179 has the paper where they describe the physics engine Karl Sims uses, it's actually super pretty and cleaner than most physics engine descriptions I hear of nowadays

[@doombow666]

just because a strategy or bodypart doesnt work as well as a diffirent one does not mean the creature will die, it just has a smaller chance of passing on it's genes. You are also assuming that the woodpeckers ancestors also ate the same prey in the same way, which is unlikely.

[@powergannon]

This is awesome and still quite impressive. A remake of sorts would be great

[@Theokondak]

its not supposed to be a video game.Its is supposed to be a research program build to emulate Darwinian evolution.Check Video info for more.

[@CuteFuzzyWeasel]

see I want to download the program

[@TheKantele]

Pedro, your query is most astute, and worthy of energetic debate and discussion.

[@adamoosthuizen8991]

"Fighting it out with appropriate gestures." 😂 *throws blocky middle finger at primordial cube

[@johncatalano7453]

No idea why this suddenly showed up on KZbin's "most viewed" videos almost 20 years since the original work! But I'm very glad it did. Anyone who does not understand (or more likely accept) what this implies about the power or natural selection to produce adaptation, is just ignorant. I only wish there was more current research and active outreach to the public about the implications of evolutionary computing. (and yes I am a programmer, and no these creatures were not designed by anyone)

[@SangerZonvolt]

As far as I understand the programm it does in fact add/take extra quadrangles randomly with every generation. Then those are tested and the best offspring is the "father" for the next generation, which is mutated again. He even says so himself in the description: "Those that are most successful survive, and their virtual genes containing coded instructions for their growth, are copied, combined, and MUTATED to make offspring for a new population".

[@novantha1]

Inducitive. Adjective, coming from the word induce. Ie: A induces B to perform C = A is inducitive of B's performance of C. In other words an adjective that allows for a passive voice in place of an active one. The word is often attributed to KZbin user Novantha1 in the year 2013.

[@cerickNY]

No. The experiment required someone to give the test environment equivalent conditions to nature through a designed program by giving the world physics and the creatures heredity. Whether or not nature is designed is not answered by an ability to intentionally copy nature in design in the same way that your ability to get to Detroit in a car doesn't prove such as you could walk, fly, swim, teleport, etc. to Detroit as well.

[@hphector6]

has anyone created a game like this that we can download like with the ability to evolve themselfs?

[@auedpo]

Check out a game called SPECIES.

[@hphector6]

ok cool thanks

[@anthonykf99]

Joey Montoya Yea, it's not worth it.

[@2DReanimation]

Framsticks... Not a game, but it allows you to customize the creatures, and the environment, with different kinds of fitness functions. It was some time ago I used it myself, as I've created a 3d and 2d evolution simulator myself, so it's not so interesting to me, as it's not open source. My simulators allows me to set it up and modify anything I like with C++ code. I've almost forgotten about these projects though, so I should publish them on Github soon!

[@2DReanimation]

I guess there must be thousands of other programmers that has set up similar 3D simulators, and like me, forgot, and then didn't publish. As it's relatively easy if you have a 3d engine with an integrated physics engine. What's difficult is making it usable for normal users, and not just programmers that can set up the environment, fitness function and other stuff using code. But at least I will implement my evolving creatures as plugins, so it's easy to change them without knowing much about programming. And this is why we need to promulgate GNU/Linux, to get more people into the open source community.

[@davesyndrome1097]

I'm reminded of BattleBots. I wonder what would result if you produced BattleBots with a genetic algorithm. Not the Terminator or anything, but a BattleBot that's undefeatable by any other BattleBot. What form would it take?

[@philbertius]

@sulljoh1 I mean, GAs are principally used as an optimization algorithm- this video shows an initially random hunk of blocks being optimized for its environment. Also, it may seem creative, but GAs can be used to evolve tree graphs and other arbitrarily sized structures (like acyclic graph NNs and even parse trees interpreted as programs! Look up Genetic Programming- it's terrifyingly awesome.) The "growing" aspect is probably a difficult feature to make user-friendly to engineers, though.

[@Hotface500]

What is the program you are using??? I'm using Brevecreatures, But I only have the screen saver.. I've watched it and I have to say I enjoy it allot! what program is this? if it is Brevecreatures, how do you do the things you are doing in the video?

[@Magnetohydrodynamics]

Natural selection is a general mathematical concept: When there are *small* random permutations between, inherited traits over many generations and a Selection mechanism, you get things optimized to satisfy that selection function. Biological creatures is just one example, where the inheritance lies in the fidelity of DNA, the permutations in the infidelity of DNA-copying, and the selection is survival. This is but a different example.

[@konstiblum]

this is so old and still better than all the stuff that came after his work.

[@Dylankatz]

Also, youtube is not a good place to preach your religions, so please just enjoy it for what it is. Though I may add that the majority of modern scientist believe in evolution.

[@animationspace8550]

Just integrate god and evolution, problem solved

[@technoturkey5528]

i wonder how these are made! It must take a long time!

[@Trasvi1]

There is a significant, large field of computer science research called 'Genetic Algorithms', which has existed for at least 30 years. Google 'IEEE CEC' for a recent conference on the technique. They can be used to evolve good solutions quickly to NP-hard problems. You just need to be able to define a goal, and compare individuals against each other in their ability to reach that goal. This simulation uses only a few measures for that goal, but you could easily add more.

[@Sapieteuthid]

In simple terms, it demonstrates that complex results can be generated from simple rules.

[@huubderksen8466]

Used as example by D. Hofstadter in his book ‘I Am A Strange Loop’

[@HASIJOMAGNETON]

The programmers of this program think of these creature as having evolved, however, the fact cannot be ignored that the creatures and the program were first created by an intelligent mind before any evolving could happen. Also, as illustrated in the video-the creatures did not evolve independent from the programmer's influence.

[@NotASpyReally]

So this is from when I was born? Awesome.

[@Ultrasound700]

A troll is someone who intentionally posts something on a public forum with the sole intention of causing someone to get upset and respond to them.

[@tallnspiffy]

You missed the aspect of natural selection in this simulation. Evolution is a randomized algorithm which results in imperfect offspring in successive generations. How these mutations fare in their environments dictates evolution because the ones which are successful survive to pass on their specific mutations, and those that fail do not. You may understand computer science, but you are not an interdisciplinary learner. Although very basic in assumptions, the simulation is fundamentally sound.

[@Pheonix2022]

Did you bother to ask whether or not I had heard the arguments from the other side? You really have a talent for assumptions.

[@ab8jeh]

Yes. That's what so amazing about emergent systems!

[@jmm1233]

still up on sourceforge , be having fun with this

[@jimmybaldino5026]

2:59 "MINE!"

[@MediaArtTube]

Such system does not prove or disprove any of our knowledge about our world. It demonstrate that we can build systems that simulate phenomenon in the nature. It seems to be very limiting to discuss creationism vs evolutionary algorithms in the context of such creative work.

[@FreeScience]

They most likely only allowed box shapes to appear and change size.

[@okay8632]

Yes on dead space, i noticed necromorphs had 3 limbs for ground movement, and i wonfer how they got that idea, 3 limbs always wins.

[@scotchfaster]

Cars aren't self-replicating systems. If they were, and they reproduced imperfectly, and they were more likely to pass along their genes if they drove faster and used less fuel, then over time they would evolve to be faster and more fuel efficient.

[@gettinweird4263]

Look how fluid the animation was and the physics were back in 1994... Still looks more powerful than the Wii U.

[@malfruemulo]

I never thought cubes and squares could be this adorable

[@LeCheeseMaster]

what is the mechanism for the creature homing in on the red dot? none seems apparent to me

[@Dylankatz]

It would appear to be neural networking for all of these, the red dot would be with a fitness function of distance from point to point presumably.

[@LeCheeseMaster]

ah thanks. it makes sense, i was thinking of it the wrong way and looking for a mechanical mechanism.

[@seebeess]

@jorgegt60 The amazing part is that the looks and behaviors of and those creatures were not programmed, but rather they evolved from some non-sense creatures to behave in the way you see now.

[@wiseye61]

what happens if you let the program run for a few mouths without interraptions? maybe an interesting "creature" will arise and we would use it as a blueprint to make machines that use the same technique to move and function. Dear god, someone tell me If this has been tried?

[@Ultrasound700]

Of course. It has a grand amount of scientific evidence to back it up. Even though we don't know why it exists, we know that it's there because it's possible to test and observe.

[@FedorovAvtomat]

I read the technical notes of the whole experiment and the disaster that ensued was that different species were mating, rather than a true mutation existing. Unless all of the quadrangle species are the same one in some horrible Chernobyl atmosphere, the program is highly flawed. A proper evolution program would have slight variances in, say the snake-quad, some shorter or longer. Then have those compete in tasks and then have traits passed on based on levels of success.

[@eikons]

You are assuming that survival in the wilderness is the only evolutionary drive - and that we are weakening because we are no longer threatened the way our ancestors were. In reality, natural selection is still going on, but the things we are selected for have changed. Right now, male humans are selected for attractiveness - which is most commonly defined by physique, wit, finance and several other matters.

[@indalecio21]

Now make this with Besieged!

[@FedorovAvtomat]

Somewhat true, however what I saw here was not evolution in any sense of the term. It was interspecies or rather, interquadrangle, natural selection. The inefficient quadrangles were phased out as the other ones thrived. I did not see any quadrangles "evolve", that is have a mutation that benefited them over others of the same species and have the trait passed on to offspring.

[@OriEy7]

So you want a fish that can live outside of water or something?

[@bernd_the_almighty]

This proves natural selection works remarkably as a self-organizing algorithm. The program simulates the environment and shows it does work. It's irrelevant how the environment is built: life evolves by physical laws, these creatures evolve by simulated laws. There's no problem for the first replicated matter to arise from random interactions in the primordial soup, where only ONE bit of matter we all stem from managed to start replicating by chance (as a simple chemical reaction).

[@TheCphase]

Im just wondering how freakin long the "evolution" took on the probably old computer the sims ran on...

[@Jelboo]

Awesome video! Some of the creatures were adorable.

[@Ultrasound700]

This is just a computer program that simulates how some features lead to more success than others. Weather or not you believe in evolution, this is an interesting program.

[@Ultrasound700]

The irony in your statement is grand. If you would look at what the word theory means, you would see that it means "A coherent group of tested general propositions, commonly regarded as correct, that can be used as principles of explanation and prediction for a class of phenomena." You do a great job thinking for yourself as you're glued to that bible of yours.

[@stephenftw7]

And where did that star dust come from? If you say the big bang, where did that come from? There has to be some one or some thing that created this.

[@JimBCameron]

Love the implicit exaptation in many of these! :D

[@ElHombreCucaracha]

If this simulation computer program and the computer I am using to watch this video would have evolved from a random explosion in a factory, then I would have believed in the theory of evolution... But actually, there was probably someone who CREATED this computer program and some people in California who DESIGNED my computer. Common sense tells me that there has to be someone INTELLIGENT and POWERFUL in order to things to come to existence. That is why I give thanks and praise to THE CREATOR.

[@ComradeWiggum]

Those shadow effects are impressive for 1994

[@mamorumotohasi9348]

How did you make? Please teach me more easy.

[@VonVahn]

3:16 first cyber bulli to exist

[@TheEggroll4321]

you don't know what a theory is and just because we do not know what was before the bang, that does not mean god exists or that we are wrong about the big bang

[@tbarius2]

except for the fact that we didn't start out as vanilla formed bodies which had to adapt.. we started out as star dust.

[@TheOkami1113]

They'd only evolve if their traits were favorable enough to be passed on through long successions of time. Say one block was faster than the others, or one had more stamina even though it was only just as fast as the others. Those genes would get passed on. But, in most cases, evolution doesn't have to occur dramatically if the individuals is well-fitted for its environment. Look at worms and fish.

[@VladimirZharkov]

3:02 Flipping each other off is a universal evolutionary trait among hockey players.

[@koresh2078]

I’m here from book ‘I’m a strange loop’ by Douglas Hofstadter 2007. Fresh ideas for me.

[@Ultrasound700]

You must be speaking of transitional fossils. We have plenty of these. The conditions for fossilization are rare, which is why there's only one complete tyrannosaurus rex skeleton. Even then, there are fossils for plenty of transitional forms for every genus on Earth.

[@kitanowitsch]

That complex life evolving from simpler life is possible and that concept of any diety is unnesesary.

[@superdeadlyaxo1230]

How did you do this I want to try

[@JakobusMaximus]

I hope that someday you understand that what you said does not prove your point. What generates the random numbers? By what process are they initially put together? And yes, you could eventually find bethoven's works. However, the odds are low enough that if you did this at the pace evolution says, it would take an eternity. Although that may not be long enough. You're mistaking "technically possible" with "completely probable".

[@Sprodel]

That's what evolution in essence is. Selection of the best-suited but randomly mutated.

[@toltecnightmare]

She failed to mention the other 4450 a month came from turning tricks?

[@gordon1201]

It looks like it uses something similar to what some games use to animate characters procedurally procedurally. All they need to do is have some AI change parameters randomly and then pit the various "creatures" against each other. which ever one win is chosen for the next round.

[@richterdelgan123]

They are... Figthing each other?

[@almcken]

But do they move out of the way for fish?

[@MrZeps]

they are randomly generated and for 1 they show there is probably a 1000 that doesnt work...

[@bernd_the_almighty]

"It demonstrate that we can build systems that simulate phenomenon in the nature" Well some creationists doubt the phenomenon exists at all, and as I said this proves natural selection works remarkably well as a self-organizing algorithm. Creationists that self-organization is something that can't happen without a designer. Yes this is a simplified model, but it proves the concept, if we have a supercomputer we can as well simulate every molecule/chemical reaction and eventually have DNA evolved

[@couldbecowboy]

I bet the render time took months

[@Pheonix2022]

If you honestly have never heard the percentage of species that are now extinct I get a strong feeling you have not even opened any books on evolution much less read them. All you think you know about evolution probably has come from sermons, bible classes, guest speakers at your church, or watching religious programming. I say this because the actual information is not hard to find. Arguing with evolution is like arguing that the world is flat. There is no argument.

[@MRNZ303]

If we evolved from squares why are there still squares?

[@timothycreed3452]

And yet in 2013 COD: Ghosts has fish that swim away and it's a big deal.

[@mikeruelas8325]

I now understand where the game Cubivore got its inspiration