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 Free software download..... (for Windows) |
| What is Gene Pool?
Gene Pool is an artificial life simulation in which populations of physics-based organisms evolve swimming capabilities over time. These organisms are called "swimbots". You can set mate preference criteria and thus influence what the swimbots consider as attractive qualities in potential mates. The most attractive swimbots get chosen most often and so their genetic building blocks propogate to future generations. Eventually, swimbots get better at pursuing each other, competing for food, and becoming babes to other swimbots. Local gene pools emerge which compete for sex and food (for energy to have more sex). Eventually a dominant sub-population takes over. And sometimes, everyone just dies (but you can help keep them alive, by moving food bits and swimbots around, and constraining the migration of competing populations by using the "Great Wall") Gene Pool is best appreciated as a virtual Darwinian aquarium in which you initiate a primordial soup, and then occasionally check up on what Virtual Mother Nature is up to - about every fifteen minutes (or every few days, if you are interested in long-term evolutionary experiments!) The strange and unexpected strategies for swimming (and being sexually attractive) that emerge can sometimes be amusing, and a bit reminiscent of that brand of creativity known as Darwinian Evolution. |
To download previous versions of GenePool, choose one of the following....  GenePool0.3.exe
GenePool1.exe
GenePool2.exe
 GenePool3.exe
(WARNING: pool files are not compatible between versions of GenePool) Download this gene pool file with some pseudo-evolved swimbots.... legs.gnp  (and then rename it to something like " pool_1.gnp", so
it can be loaded into GenePool) |
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(see the CALRESCO page, where Gene Pool is featured...) 
Gene Pool is ABSOLUTELY FREE exploratory software. It is for you to enjoy. Feel free to make suggestions for future enhancements. I periodically make new versions, and your suggestions are helpful. 
(c) copyright 2003 Jeffrey Ventrella |
