Dylan Cope
Dylan Cope
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Simulating the Evolution of Multicellularity
In this video I showcase a program that I have been working on for simulating evolution by natural selection. I dive into various mechanisms of the simulation and go over some interesting real-life biology in the process. The key aim of this project is to evolve multicellular organisms, starting from single-celled protozoa-like creatures that must collect mass and energy from their surroundings in order to survive, grow and reproduce.
This work was presented at the 2023 International Conference on Artificial Life. You can read a more detailed exploration of the project in the paper published in the conference proceedings:
Dylan Cope, 2023. "Real-time Evolution of Multicellularity with Artificial Gene Regulation." Proceedings of the 2023 Artificial Life Conference. MIT Press. direct.mit.edu/isal/proceedings/isal2023/35/77/116930
If you want to run the simulation yourself or just poke around the code, you can find the project on GitHub:
github.com/DylanCope/ProtoEvo
Join the Discord:
discord.com/invite/GY5UJxbBnq
Chapters:
00:00 - Introduction
01:24 - Recapping Simulation Basics
02:27 - How Do Computers Simulate Evolution?
04:46 - Introducing Gene Regulation
05:15 - Why is Gene Regulation Important?
07:44 - Implementing GRNs In The Simulation
10:07 - The Surface Nodes System
12:37 - Looking At A GRN
14:13 - Looking At Cell Signalling
16:40 - Conclusions
Credits and References:
Neil Shubin, Some Assembly Required: Decoding Four Billion Years of Life, from Ancient Fossils to DNA
www.amazon.com/Some-Assembly-Required-Decoding-Billion/dp/1101871334
John Holland, Adaptation in Natural and Artificial Systems: An Introductory Analysis with Applications to Biology, Control, and Artificial Intelligence
www.amazon.com/Adaptation-Natural-Artificial-Systems-Introductory/dp/0262581116
“Darwin’s Finches”, Illustrated by John Gould, in “Journal of Researches”, Darwin, 1845
picryl.com/media/darwins-finches-by-gould-a6e32a
Epigenetics Mechanisms Diagram, United States National Institutes of Health
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epigenetics#/media/File:Epigenetic_mechanisms.png
Cell Types Diagram, Wikipedia Contributor Haileyfournier
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cellular_differentiation#/media/File:Final_stem_cell_differentiation_(1).svg
Tectonic plates animation: Scotese, C.R., 2016. Plate Tectonics, Paleogeography, and Ice Ages, (Modern World - 540Ma)
ua-cam.com/video/g_iEWvtKcuQ/v-deo.html
Genetic Algorithms Diagram
www.strong.io/blog/evolutionary-optimization
Galapagos Finch Evolution - HHMI BioInteractive Video
ua-cam.com/video/mcM23M-CCog/v-deo.html&ab_channel=biointeractive
Evolution Tree of Life Diagram
www.evogeneao.com/en/learn/tree-of-life
Music by Vincent Rubinetti
Download the music on Bandcamp:
vincerubinetti.bandcamp.com/a...
Stream the music on Spotify:
open.spotify.com/album/1dVyjw...
Переглядів: 27 966

Відео

Simulating an Evolving Microcosmos | The Path to Multicellularity
Переглядів 362 тис.Рік тому
In this video I showcase a program that I have been working on for simulating evolution by natural selection. I dive into various mechanisms of the simulation and go over some interesting real-life biology in the process. The key aim of this project is to evolve multicellular organisms, starting from single-celled protozoa-like creatures that must collect mass and energy from their surroundings...
EmeCom@ICLR22 | Joining the Conversation: Towards Language Acquisition for Ad Hoc Team Play
Переглядів 1,5 тис.2 роки тому
Based on work presented at the ICLR 2022 Emergent Communication Workshop by Dylan Cope and Peter McBurney.
EmeCom@NeurIPS20 | Learning to Communicate with Strangers via Channel Randomisation Methods
Переглядів 1,2 тис.2 роки тому
Based on work presented at the NeurIPS 2020 Emergent Communication Workshop by Dylan Cope and Nandi Schoots. Talk given in December 2020.

КОМЕНТАРІ

  • @Solar_system1513
    @Solar_system1513 9 днів тому

    game name

    • @dylancope
      @dylancope 9 днів тому

      @@Solar_system1513 it's not really a game - it's just a simulation you watch run lol. I haven't really given it a name either. It's a program I wrote that you could find the code and executables for in the description if you want to try running it yourself.

  • @thomaslecoz8251
    @thomaslecoz8251 11 днів тому

    very inspiring

  • @blacklight683
    @blacklight683 14 днів тому

    I saw a game about single cell organism, I've seen a game about animals and plants And now, time for what is in between.

  • @Jabawokiz810
    @Jabawokiz810 16 днів тому

    How can evolution starting with a complete set of codes? wasn't it supposed to be start from 0 lines?

    • @dylancope
      @dylancope 15 днів тому

      @@Jabawokiz810 real evolution didn't start until a lot of physics and chemistry stuff was already going on.

  • @marionette8739
    @marionette8739 17 днів тому

    Have you checked out systems chem and it's impact on abiogenesis research and experiments? Fascinating...

  • @hakaki7280
    @hakaki7280 23 дні тому

    that is some deep symulations

  • @Pockeywn
    @Pockeywn 28 днів тому

    16:05 mmgh🤤🤤cigarettes

  • @Groggle7141
    @Groggle7141 Місяць тому

    Your current system for forming multicelluar organisms seems to be different cells just joining together if they have enough adhesion. But most multicellular organisms in real life come about through a single cell (a zygote) multiplying and staying connected.

    • @dylancope
      @dylancope Місяць тому

      @@Groggle7141 Indeed. The purpose of the artificial gene regulatory is to lay down the foundations for reproduction via single-cell bottlenecks to emerge. When talking in evolutionary terms, there is a blurry boundary between colonial organisms that grow and split, and "true" multicellular organisms that rely on zygotes.

    • @davidaugustofc2574
      @davidaugustofc2574 25 днів тому

      The cells in the colonies would need a way to share genetic code among each other.

  • @alexzhukovsky8361
    @alexzhukovsky8361 Місяць тому

    I'm so friggin mad at the youtube algorithm for not recommending me this for 4 MONTHS! It knows exactly that this is the kind of content that gets me going

  • @WoK_Spider
    @WoK_Spider Місяць тому

    I have noooooo clue what’s going on, I love it!!!

  • @MuseumFreedom
    @MuseumFreedom Місяць тому

    Nu-uh

  • @cw42
    @cw42 2 місяці тому

    We will watch your career with great interest.

  • @NoenD_io
    @NoenD_io 2 місяці тому

    Make that food can have waste value and cells can get poisoned

  • @Gelatinocyte2
    @Gelatinocyte2 2 місяці тому

    This project reminds me of _Cell Lab_ on Android.

  • @enux6351
    @enux6351 2 місяці тому

    this is glorified spore

    • @dylancope
      @dylancope 2 місяці тому

      @@enux6351 lol I can't tell if you mean this as a good thing or not, but tbh other than spore vaguely being about evolution I don't think they're very similar

  • @sir_moo
    @sir_moo 3 місяці тому

    Although I know this is just a simulation video, I can't leave God's truth to be unspoken. We, and everything, exist thanks to God, our creator, and it's impossible for the world around us to be created by evolution. Take the fig wasp and tree. The wasp burrows into the fig and lays its eggs inside, pollinating it in the process (which, by the way, is the only way both the wasp and tree reproduce [quote from Wikipedia: "Without this pollinator service fig trees could not reproduce by seed."]). I thank you for taking the time to read this, and I hope you have a great rest of your day.

    • @MichaelLane-s3x
      @MichaelLane-s3x 3 місяці тому

      I am Christian and I have to honestly ask why would you click on a video that has anything to do with Evolution and then proclaim false as soon as the video starts. I don’t hide my light under a bushel basket but it’s things like saying false at the start of a video about an evolution simulation that gives us a bad name. Stay blessed and pick your fights wisely remember dust your sandals off and leave from those who do not receive you.

    • @sir_moo
      @sir_moo 3 місяці тому

      @@MichaelLane-s3x Yeah, you might be right. I guess I'm just excited to have proof of God that the world can believe.

    • @skoovee
      @skoovee 2 місяці тому

      ​@@sir_moohow is it proof though, the tree and wasp evolved with each other so it is only natural for the tree to lose its unnecessary reproduction methods as it evolves

    • @sir_moo
      @sir_moo 2 місяці тому

      @@skoovee Why did the wasp ever decide to burrow in there? Why doesn't it burrow into other fruits? And why did both of them decide to fully get rid of whatever systems they had before in place of the one they have right now? Isn't more reproduction in both of their best interests?

    • @skoovee
      @skoovee 2 місяці тому

      @@sir_moo because it was probably just easier, and whats the point of keeping around redundant systems that need a lot of upkeep? this is millions of years of evolution we are talking about, not just one day where they decided to shake things up a bit

  • @denisekyles4299
    @denisekyles4299 3 місяці тому

    it dosent work. when i start the program i the window just briefly flashes on the screen and dissapears

  • @doppel232
    @doppel232 3 місяці тому

    New videos please, even if it is, just the protozoa moving from one side to the other with you commenting on top, PLEASE, i'm miss you 😢

  • @RealRower1
    @RealRower1 3 місяці тому

    what engine or thing did you use to code this in ?

  • @darlingortiz2956
    @darlingortiz2956 3 місяці тому

    0:52 ¿como se llama esa imagen?

    • @dylancope
      @dylancope 3 місяці тому

      @@darlingortiz2956 the only AI generated content was the first 10 secs where I used a stable diffusion model as a part of a custom animation script. The rest was stock footage from various sources and custom animations

  • @darlingortiz2956
    @darlingortiz2956 3 місяці тому

    Algo que podrias añadir seria que mediante un mayor coste de moleculas o con moleculas distintas las celulas podrian crear otros tipos de cosa para aderirse que sea mas compleja como que les permita transportar nutrientes, informacion, etc... Y asi

  • @darlingortiz2956
    @darlingortiz2956 3 місяці тому

    Que increible proyecto

    • @dylancope
      @dylancope 3 місяці тому

      @@darlingortiz2956 gracias haha

  • @MapperComunista
    @MapperComunista 4 місяці тому

    How to download?

  • @originalcharacter2470
    @originalcharacter2470 4 місяці тому

    This is a very interesting project you've got going on, do these guys have simulated biochemistry like norns do?

  • @ExtantFrodo2
    @ExtantFrodo2 4 місяці тому

    The "good" or "bad" ness of a gene is completely & totally dependent on the context (read "environment"). Within the context of one singular environment, gene alternatives have -no- VERY LITTLE space for being differentiated from the optimal species for that one environment (whether dynamic or not). The hardest part of simulating *the variety* produced by evolution is simulating a plethora of different environmental gradients encompassing any of several extremes. This is true for single celled (SCS) as well as multicellular species (MCS). SCS have few physical barriers other than the gravity well we live in (although evidence shows they could very well survive hitching a ride to other planets in the solar system). MCSs on the other hand are more or less limited to reproduction with local members within the confines of their local environment.

  • @peperando8733
    @peperando8733 4 місяці тому

    Really interesting. I'm glad these kinds of simulations are being created... Definitely will be following the project!

  • @zix2421
    @zix2421 5 місяців тому

    This network on them is amazing! It’s definitely the most thoughtful evolution simulation I have seen on UA-cam, I thought it is “Bibites” earlier. Good luck with the project!

  • @sebastianrosa339
    @sebastianrosa339 5 місяців тому

    I really like the symbiosis of the blue and cream colourd species one is mouth one is movement

  • @MrKubaxius
    @MrKubaxius 5 місяців тому

    I was laying in bed for the last few hours, unable to sleep, thinking about creating eerily similar simulation. I finally got out of bed, opened youtube, and this is the first video I've seen, lol. I love it!

  • @Kkk-cc1iy
    @Kkk-cc1iy 5 місяців тому

    Welcome back

  • @mihaleben6051
    @mihaleben6051 5 місяців тому

    13:54 my theory is that cells and soap are similiar. Hydrophilic outside. Hydrophobic inside.

  • @enjaad1654
    @enjaad1654 5 місяців тому

    Amazing project ! Thanks also for the biology explainations, they are extremely clear and engaging.

  • @PawelGrzelak
    @PawelGrzelak 5 місяців тому

    The amount of complexity you were able to put into that simulator and still make it stable is incredible. All my attempts, even the simplest ones, on creating evolution, always turned into pure chaos.

  • @revimfadli4666
    @revimfadli4666 5 місяців тому

    So it runs in Java, no wonder you need a pretty powerful computer :( if only it was written in C, Rust, or C# DOTS...

    • @dylancope
      @dylancope 5 місяців тому

      To be honest, I don't think that any of those languages would make a huge difference. Java is pretty performant if you don't abuse the GC too much, and it's easier to do multiprocessing that C (not sure about Rust). And that's the key issue for this program. Collision engines are hard to parallelise. The only way it would be significantly more performant is if I managed to find a better backend physics library, as I moved away from my own implementation. Ultimately as this is a side project, I don't have time to write everything from scratch so relying on physics engines and UI libraries has been very helpful.

  • @revimfadli4666
    @revimfadli4666 5 місяців тому

    The paper probably answers these, but for the algorithm: Are the GRNs always shallow? If they can also process signals like a neural network, then multicellularity can serve as a way to gain network depth (with some latency) Can the adhesion nodes change their length? Can they reposition in realtime (not between generations)?

    • @dylancope
      @dylancope 5 місяців тому

      The GRNs can have arbitrary depth - they evolve using the NEAT algorithm. But yes you're right that multicellularity is a way to gain depth. Also, depth within a cell has latency. Secondly, the current adhesion system cannot be repositioned. Although connections can be broken and remade.

  • @LOL_MANN
    @LOL_MANN 5 місяців тому

    You could just use Spore the game for this literally lmao

  • @yyhhttcccyyhhttccc6694
    @yyhhttcccyyhhttccc6694 5 місяців тому

    how do i download new version

  • @oystercatcher943
    @oystercatcher943 5 місяців тому

    13:13 I notice the GRN nodes move. How is this controlled I wonder. Graph layout like graphviz is complex because of avoiding overlaps etc. is there some spring based relaxation happening? Very interested to know thanks

    • @dylancope
      @dylancope 5 місяців тому

      Good question. To be honest, I kind of hacked together a solution to that problem. It's not a proper spring-based model. Each node in the graph repels neighbours that are too close and attracts ones that are far away. If I recall correctly, there are some edge cases to handle the nodes moving with the cells and attaching them to anchors on the surface nodes.

  • @lukxd3225
    @lukxd3225 5 місяців тому

    Oh you’re still active! Amazing!

  • @shade4467
    @shade4467 5 місяців тому

    HE'S BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACK!!!!!

  • @bibliusz777
    @bibliusz777 5 місяців тому

    Someday the stars will be extinguished, and in my opinion, if something is worth competing for, it is for who will be the ancestor of the last life. I'd like to do research on entropy and replication, but idk where to start

  • @alexandrefernandes6084
    @alexandrefernandes6084 5 місяців тому

    Very engaging video Dylan! Excited to see this after your presentation at SLCU a few months ago. You do an excelent job getting people excited about evo-devo!

    • @dylancope
      @dylancope 5 місяців тому

      Thank you Alexandre! I really enjoyed my visit to the lab - hope everyone is doing well :)

  • @Yee_.
    @Yee_. 5 місяців тому

    he's back!!!

  • @ANTIMONcom
    @ANTIMONcom 5 місяців тому

    Nice video 👍. You sort of opened my eyes a bit for the "dynamic-world -》 gene regulation." part of EvoDevo. I often think about its role in modularity and symmetry/reuse. The program looks cool. Cant belive you chose Java for it. Still, amazing work 👍

  • @FrankWalker2356
    @FrankWalker2356 5 місяців тому

    I just rewatched your previous video out just to remember what it was about and saw this one. Nice.

  • @Pooranonymity
    @Pooranonymity 5 місяців тому

    i love these projects but frankly it feels that they aren't really simulations of evolution per se as there isn't space for novel functions to develop, just chosen functions to be modified. If anything it's more akin to adaptation. Although it's way easier to point at problems than solutions and having building blocks with defined physical properties that can be assembled from code like amino acids forming proteins would, i suspect, be a computational nightmare beyond actually coding it so you wouldn't get many generations/organisms even if you got it working in a way where they had the capacity to generate novel functions instead of being stacks of silly string dangling off of cells. more constructively (although not particularly important): diffusion is the word for the passive movement of solutes across the cell membrane based on concentration gradient. Osmosis only refers to the diffusion of water.

    • @oystercatcher943
      @oystercatcher943 5 місяців тому

      It’s a very hard thing to grapple with. However this simulation is totally able to generate evolutionary novel behaviours if not structures. But even then it could make interesting multicellular structures. I guess you have decide the level at which you wish to run the simulation. Evolution is going on at multiple levels, within cells and at the organism level. CoreWars and Avida may be more open-ended because they use more general programming languages but in a much less biologically inspired environment. Doing both would be great but very hard to do I think. Also Battle-of-the-clans on YT is interesting in this respect but still on a simpler grid based world. I think every style has its place. IMHO No one simulation can do everything without as you say being hopelessly complex and slow ❤

  • @villesandberg3170
    @villesandberg3170 5 місяців тому

    My waiting gave fruit

  • @stevewalker9870
    @stevewalker9870 5 місяців тому

    He's frigging back! I had nearly lost hope, but the great Dylan Cope has graced us with his amazing content once again!

  • @GragCM
    @GragCM 5 місяців тому

    I have massive respect for anyone who can do anything close to this, your actually a legend bro

  • @oystercatcher943
    @oystercatcher943 5 місяців тому

    Super inspiring stuff. I will be reading your paper. I’ve got a long way with my own GPU based simulation. I think your thoughts on GRN and the environment is super interesting. I’m interested in the similarity of GRN and neural networks with a GRN potentially having longer memory more like a RNN. The modular idea is brilliant and something I hope you don’t mind me copying and playing with. I’m also interested in how far evolution can learn to use the full complexity of your simulation world