Amebas FAQ
You can find the answers to frequently asked questions on this page. First of all you have to download and start the Amebas program on your computer.
How to control amebas in "game mode"?
Ameba moves according to the forces assigned to its points.
You can change the forces by pulling them using left mouse button.
The change of the force assigned to ameba's point is inversely proportional to the distance to this point.
If the cursor is far away from ameba, all forces will be changed in the same way.
You can change a vector assigned to ameba's point when the cursor is nearer to this point than to the other points.
You can experiment with control vectors setting in "pause mode".
Shot direction is set by a double click on a position on the field.
Double click on your ameba assigns all forces to zero.
How does the «Add current individual to population» button work?
One of the individuals in populations is replaced by current ameba.
New ameba will start to fight in next generation.
The progamm automatically selects the most suitable population for the new ameba.
In real nature species can be separated into several populations that live at different territories.
The populations' evolution is independant for the most of time, but sometimes, species migrate and join other populations.
Thus the evolution of the whole specie progresses.
In this case saved amebas and amebas from other users are "migrating".
What is "control group" and what to do with it?
Amebas in control group take part in fights, but they do not reproduce.
Every ameba from population fights with fixed number of random amebas from other populations and
with all amebas from control group.
Results of all fights are summarized to compute the amebas' ratings.
At the end of a generation the best amebas according to rating reproduce.
New amebas replace some of the old ones (you can change the percentage in "evolution settings")
The most fitted amebas (in terms of fighting with amebas in control group and other populations) survive.
You can change the direction of natural selection by adding new amebas to the control group.
It will be usefull to add strong amebas to control group, for example tournament winners.
Why do we need several populations in one program?
Amebas' fitness depends on how this ameba fights against amebas in all populations.
Amebas from different populations DO NOT exchange their genes.
Usually one breed dominates in poluation.
If you have different population, you have some alternative variants of behaviour and your search space is wider.
How can I compare two amebas?
When you press "New game", you can choose an ameba from population or load it from file.
One or both amebas can be controlled by human.
Which of amebas is "current"?
Current DNA is a "document" with which the program works now.
You can load and save the current DNA.
The current DNA is updated after each generation.
At the end of generation the ameba which has the best rating becomes current.
When you stop evolution or open the DNA file, the new game is set to place the current ameba
on the right side of the field.
Human-controlled ameba has random color.
You can always start a new game with new amebas.
You can make any ameba from any population current in "populations editor".
There is no progress in evolution during many generations. Evolution stopped forever?
Modern evolutional theory says that evolution is nonlinear.
There are long stable periods and "fast breakthrough" periods.
There is analogy with water, which flows faster in deep holes and slower on big flat areas.
This is the reason why it's hard to discover transitional forms.
You have to wait, and there will be changes, soon or late.
I have a good ameba, but I don't like it's appearance. How can I change its color?
Amebas` color can be changed using "mutate current ameba" button in "populations editor".
But every mutation is random and can damage amebas fighting skills.
Be careful with mutations. Always have a backup copy of your sucessfull ameba or you can lose it.
My amebas have learned how to fight well, but still some stupid amebas appear. Why?
This is the result of a mutation, which turned to be harmfull for ameba.
In real nature there are always lots of mutations.
For example, one of 10 human embryo has a deadly mutation. This embryo dies during first week of pregnancy.
Most mutations are not usefull or harmfull, they are neutral.
You can have a neutral mutation and never know about it.
Useful mutations are very rare, but in long period of time they make evolution progress.
Why does my "current ameba" (leader) sometimes lose to other amebas in population?
Ameba's internal rating is computed basing on the amebas's fights in current genetations
(there's a fixed number of random opponents in every generation).
Some "lucky" amebas have only weak opponents and get better rating than the unlucky ones, which got strong opponents.
This situation has an analogy in real nature.
Sometimes the most fitted creature dies accidentally in a natural catastrophe.
So the most fitted creature can just be "unlucky".
But there is an equal probabilty for all creatures to suffer from a natural catastrophe.
It is important to have statistically significant number of tests.
For example, if you have two different breeds, and each of them have 1000 individuals, there will be approximately equal number of lucky and unlucky individuals.
And there will be more survivers in the breed which has useful adaptive traits, which gives them some advantage.