Simulations with artificial agents show that a "reverse" hormesis, and seemingly otherwise maladaptive "down-regulation of efficiency" produces a (counter-intuitive) downstream benefit to a populations survival in a changing environment. This benefit accrues to populations subjected to slowly changing environments and to those subjected to quickly changing environments where a phase-change like transition from one state to another has occurred.

So, what is this "counter-intuitive" benefit of built-in down-regulation? Stated another way, it is this; 

By down-regulating the fecundity (as reduced efficiency, generally, and a decreased ability to survive under optimal conditions, specifically) across an entire population, then when a major deleterious change to the environment occurs, the minority of the population having a more positively-adapted genome will be able to more quickly increase its proportion relative the total population, when that majority is less well-adapted to the new environmental challenge. 

Aside from the academic fireworks, why is this important?

There's a direct link between this line of investigation thought/research and the potential to dramatically influence (prevent) the most severe of social injustices - such as child abuse and endemic (irreversible) poverty. And yes, I know it sounds like a HUGE stretch to connect one to the other - however... it isn't... isn't a stretch at all, in fact.

Anti-social interactions and pathological economic inefficiencies are the cultural equivalent of the aforementioned down-regulation of efficiency. This "inefficiency" is measurable, and most visible, for example, as the excessive volatility of GDP, as an up to 40% reduction of GDP from that optimally possible, and as a greatly slowed rate of typical increase for gross domestic wealth (GDP) - all of which ties inextricably together with slowed rates of scientific, political, and cultural innovation and change, and increased susceptibility to diseases and social pathologies.

This counter-intuitive decrease in biological "performance" optimizes a societies, species, or genomes ability to survive in response to changes/challenges in its cultural or physical environment that would otherwise prove "fatal" to that cultures, species, or genomes survival.

We are only now (s-l-o-w-l-y) coming to grips with the fact that our minds (and consciousness) are not separate from our biology, or from biological imperatives. We are further still from fully comprehending & accepting that this means that Culture (too) IS biology. Human sociality, communication, and culture operates under the exact-same evolutionary principles therefore, only it is speeded-up a million-fold, literally, compared to genomic (molecular) rates of adaptation.

If this were all just a matter of scientific bravado & me-first machismo... I wouldn't bother with it frankly, however...

Here's the down-n-dirty, all-out honest-truth of the matter...

I spent two decades living within a community of 80,000 persons in which the statistical rates of child abuse, teenage suicide, and other-such social ills were rampant. Statistically, the problem cannot have been propagated and maintained SOLELY through direct familial relations - other factors were obviously at work. Social ills, I came to understand, are, to an unexpected degree, actually relative, and are a matter of degree and perspective - What one person considers a social ill can be perceived by another person, culture, or country, as justice, or even as entertainment. The spectrum of this dynamical process became evident to me as a consequence of having lived within this community - it spans all scales from individuals and communities to countries. 

For this reason I'm also seeking-out those with talent/interest in writing, scripting, video production, artistic media, viral networking, evo-psych, artificial-agent simulations, animal rights, philanthropy, economics/banking, social justice and humanitarianism. Interested?



PS> Never-ever leave Academia if you can manage it, despite its insularity, it's better than the "real" world!

Michael

Social Entrepreneur, Inventor, & Enthusiastic P-U-R-V-E-Y-O-R of Social & Scientific OPTIMISM > ...................................................................................................

BIO: (taken from> www.inocentive.com) >

BACKGROUND: I've raised venture capital to develop & manufacture high-density memory disks; received a NIH grant for medical device development; received multiple patents in the areas of computers & medical devices; served on MIT Venture Forum panels; placed 4th as entrepreneur of the year, National Association of Venture Capital Clubs; and founded & operated a number of successful companies - including being part owner & producer of a TV channel (not so successful). Last, but not least, topping any biographical list of accomplishments has to be, of course, that I've won a couple of InnoCentive Challenges! 

Another accomplishment I'm proud of is having designed a stand-alone mechanical device able to play a mean game of Tic-tac-toe using the fewest number of parts that's mathematically & physically possible. However, I have to admit, not many others seem particularly impressed; Oh well!

Another source of pride is that I can name the ONE, single, movie that depicts the future in a (reasonably) fully, truly optimistic fashion (Can you name one?) - whereas many persons seem unaware that our society is so lacking in this commodity, or that the lack has reached such a degree that it qualifies as being termed pathological at the societal level. Go figure! 

CURRENT: I'm working on an artificial agent simulation using Netlogo, seeking to use it as a defacto "proof" of the aforementioned (new) mathematical constant. This constant both acts on & results from biological evolution, homeostatically down-regulating efficiency, longevity, & fecundity (counter-intuitively) to optimize for adaptiveness in the face of environmental variation.

REQUEST FOR HELP, COLLABORATION: Sadly, I'm NOT an accomplished Netlogo (see link below) programmer, so I'm especially hopeful of hearing from any big-brained Netlogo wizard that may read this. 

SOAPBOX ORATORY: Since I'm not the kind of person to let a perfectly good soapbox go to waste, especially when there are so many persons in the world without one... There's significant relevance of this work to a wide range of socially positive causes - connecting disparate subjects ranging from the neurobiology of child abuse to the behavioral transmission of neuro- degeneration within communities. Pandemics of this neuro-degeneration are not uncommon, resulting in blighted, communities that aren't particularly hard to identify, once you know to look for them. Someday, it'll be possible to catch these communities on the cusp, before they reach the widespread pandemic stage. Help can then be targeted to "nodal" or "carrier" communities to help them recover. Learning to deal with mental "illness" at the community level by understanding the larger evolutionary principles involved will open up a number of new ways of looking at old problems. For example, the ultimate down-regulator of efficiency is endemic poverty - Here is the path to understanding its true root cause. Early childhood is the key, & identification of the worst communities & targeting them will have ripple effects across all communities in our society (of communities). 

Ever wonder why the world is so crazy? It really is you know! This universal down-regulation results in a comorbid increase of susceptibility to, & transmittal of many diseases & disease vectors, thus decreasing fecundity & longevity. Unexpectedly, this increases species survival when facing extinction events - and it's roots are DEEP, going back to the single-cell stage of life. Most amazingly, this evolutionary "governor" (re: steam-engine governor) also greatly influences "complex" behaviors such as trust, cooperativeness, and even a societies rate of innovation & it's ability to accept new things & changes. Here lies the deepest root cause (singular, not plural) of endemic poverty & also of all economic bubbles (The beauty of how it all fits together is ALMOST as satisfying as that of a Tic-tac-toe mechanism when contemplated in it's most simplified form!). 

The mathematics (new constant) should also be helpful when optimizing routing paths, & provide a definitive, full explanation of hormetic down- regulation. Simply put; there's hope of providing the mathematical underpinnings to back up the oft-used but seldom fully-comprehended phrase "Culture IS Biology."

ARE YOU AN ECONOMIST, BANKER, INVESTMENT BANKER, STOCKS ANALYST, POLITICAL SCIENTIST, VENTURE CAPITALIST OR ANYTHING RELATED TO THESE, IN ACADEMIA OR INDUSTRY? The following may be of interest>

Genuine Social "Investment": A TRUE financial justification for "investment" in "social" goods may now be at hand. Inefficiency is fairly easy to measure for an amoeba struggling upstream as it follows a sugar gradient, but one would think it would be very difficult to determine for millions of people. Fortunately, there's a handy basis applicable to large groups of people - it's called the Gross Domestic Product. If what's true for amoeba's hold's true for humans, and there's no reason to think it shouldn't, then there's a potential "goldmine" of as much as 40% of the GDP waiting to be reclaimed & mined now that we know it exists & have the tools to go after it. Currently, the word "investment," when used in relation to social "causes," is a farce & only has semantic reality & meaning. One cannot go to a community bank & borrow money to feed the poor or provide healthcare based on the anticipated financial return & increase to the local tax base - but this could change. Back to that analogy to a vein of gold: ANY potential for a percentage-basis return on the GDP is a pretty big deal, let alone double-digit returns (2008 US GDP ='s 14.2 trillion). Fancy words & arguments won't cut it though, only hard math backed up by a valid proof that validates real-world economic data is going to suffice for the investment banking community to take notice. Profit has a long & proven history of being a great motivator & bringer of change. Using the aforementioned "MOTHER" of all Mother-loads as a carrot, there's cause to believe a significant reduction of many of the worlds social ills could be at hand!

Any filmmakers out there? Perhaps someone should start thinking about making a SECOND film (or book) depicting a fully optimistic future for humanity!

CAN YOU NAME A SINGLE FILM OR BOOK THAT DEPICTS A FULLY POSITIVE FUTURE FOR MANKIND? Have you thought of one yet? Are you SURE it really depicts a positive future? Email me, as far as I know there's only ONE. I've yet to hear anyone name a single one that would even remotely qualify. This amazing fact clearly signifies a deep, mostly unrecognized, pathology - Indeed, this complete lack is the very definition of a clinically pathological extreme. 

COLLABORATION WITH OTHER SOLVERS ON INNOCENTIVE CHALLENGES & CONTACT INFO: I'm (very) interested in cooperating on Challenges with other Solvers (and in the concept & possibilities of group efforts in general), so please, don't hesitate to contact me (A simple "Hi," is a great first step!), I'm; > > > MakeItSo > at > > > michael.sirbola@gmail.com > 

(Netlogo is Free to Download from a Nonprofit Edu. at http://ccl.northwestern.edu/netlogo/ ) 

(Innocentive> www.inocentive.com)