We will now engage in a number of laptop simulations related to species survivability through Darwinian selection.

Being by downloading the simulator (if this does not open in a new window, go back and right click on the link to open in new window)

AND EVERYONE NEEDS TO FOLLOW DIRECTIONS!

• First Activity: Rule the World
  Goal: Earn a gold star from Professor Nicols > Win the Chimera game.

  Instructions: (Note: if you cheat the system, you will be detected and punished by the state)

  1. Select Random Distributions as the starting point.
     
  2. Note which color has the largest wedge of the pie. That color is now your tribe.
     
  3. Under outcome prediction, select that color
     
  4. hit the step button one time
  5. publish to global view and stop for a moment until further instructed
     
     
     
  6. Now see if your color survives the selection process. Do this by repeatedly hitting the step button until enough generations have gone by that either your tribe is dead (at which point you stop) or your tribes survives.
     
  7. If your tribe survived then publish to global view again --> if you have more surviving members of your tribe than anyone else you get a gold star. Your the elitist tribe.
  
  

• Second Activity: We are all equal
  Goal: Discover the survival rules

  Instructions:

  1. Select Equal Distribution as the starting point.
  2. Step through just one generation and then publish the results after generation 2. Can we make a prediction about who wins?
  3. Now step through until the end (e.g. only 1 tribe exists) and publish that result.

  Third Activity

  Goal: Preserve the Master Race

  Instructions:

  1. Select Custom Distribution.
  2. By previous criteria you have already determined that neither the Blue Tribe or the Red Tribe could ever be a master race.
  3. Therefore you are to select from the remaining 4 colors. Select one of those colors to be 60 (i.e. you have artifically changed society so that those with the desired traits represent 60% of the total population).
  4. Use the arrows to balance the other tribes at some reasonable equal contribution to the remaining 40%.
  5. Enter your tribe color into the prediction box and publish to global view and stop.
     
     
     
     
  6. Now hit the step button and pay attention - when you get to the point where you have only 3 tribes left (successful elimination of at least 1/2 of the lower races) Publish to global view.
  7. At this point, your master race looks to be in a good position but ...
  8. Does your tribe survive and does it survive with good numbers? Find out by running the simulation until the end (note that it now may take more than 10 generations to achieve the end state)
  9. Publish your results when done
  10. You have successfully engineered the planet if you have at least 5 members left in your master race. If so, collect two gold stars from Professor Nicols. .

      
      
      
      
      
      

      Week 8