Evolution
What are the limits of human potential?
Evolution isn't random drift. Denis Noble argues organisms harness variation on purpose — the same loop the scientific method makes conscious, compressed into game simulations for cheap testing.
The Loop
Every living system runs the same cycle:
| Step | Across Generations | In a Lifetime |
|---|---|---|
| Apply force | Variation expressed | Try a new approach |
| Compare | Fitness tested by environment | Outcomes vs expectations |
| Amplify or retreat | Reproduce or perish | Double down or rethink |
Intention gives the loop direction. Without it, the method is noise.
Purposeful Creativity
| Insight | What It Means |
|---|---|
| Organism-centred | Evolution acts on the whole organism, not just genes |
| Multi-level | Functionality at genetic, cellular, and system levels simultaneously |
| Intentional | Organisms harness randomness on purpose — immune systems don't stumble into defense |
| Creative | Life invents new functions, not just optimizes existing ones |
Noble's Third Way challenges gene-centrism: purpose and agency are scientifically investigable, not mystical add-ons.
Context
- Science — The conscious version of the evolutionary loop
- Game Economics — Where the loop runs at low cost
- Intentions — What gives the loop direction
- Agency — What emerges when the loop compounds
- Potential — What hasn't been expressed yet