Evolutionary pressure, or selection pressure, can be considered as external pressure exerted on a biological evolution process, thereby changing the direction of the process. The so-called "natural selection, survival of the fittest" means that nature exerts selection pressure on organisms.
This allows those who adapt to the natural environment to survive and reproduce.
Selection pressure is one of the driving forces of evolution.
Yawgmoth grinned: "This problem is not that difficult. Evolutionary pressures, in addition to 'climate and environmental changes', come more from other species, or other individuals within the same group. A species, its
Natural enemies, their prey, other species in the same ecological niche, and every individual competing for mate rights within the population are all sources of evolutionary pressure. A lot of evolution comes from 'competition between species.'"
"In addition, evolution also has serious path dependence. For example, once you enter a parasitic ecological niche, your fate is basically bound to the fate of the host species, and you will almost never break away. But once the planet's environment changes drastically,
Then the originally most prosperous population will suffer a heavy blow - such as a meteorite. At this time, by taking other routes, the surviving species with evolutionary potential will begin to differentiate and occupy the vacated ecological niche."
"I even think that in the past 300,000 years, the evolutionary pressure of human ancestors who have become 'large predators' came more from within the species!"
Ingrid nodded: "That makes sense."
Only Xiang Shan sighed: "It's so unromantic."
Xiang Shan sincerely hopes that there will be a civilization that is so obsessed with the stars.
At least with such a civilization, the universe will not be too lonely.
After this chat, Ingrid and David submitted routine reports respectively. Of course, both of them were very loyal, and especially thanked Yawgmoth and Xiangshan for their contribution in this brainstorming.
In addition, the park has also begun to analyze the machinery inside Ogun in an orderly manner. However, it seems that bureaucrats within some member states of the Security Council have disputes over certain issues, so the Rama project has not yet been approved for dismantling.
With the authorization of Star Machinery, everyone had no choice but to study the most broken remains first.
Of course, the first to produce results were those who studied the symbols on alien tablets. As Xiang Shan said, alien computers also use binary. There is indeed an area composed of 0 and 1, which combines symbols and mechanical instructions one by one.
Corresponded.
Xiang Shan was not the only one to put forward this view. However, at the end of the research report, the project leader, an old scholar from the European Union, still included Xiang Shan's name in the list of "cooperating researchers."
Earth scholars believe that this symbol system is not a symbol system like the "mnemonic" in Earth's assembly language that facilitates operators to operate electronic devices, but is specifically designed to compress information and increase the information density of the stone slabs.
means.
Normal mnemonics will directly select some existing words or their abbreviations with one and only natural semantics from natural language to replace mechanical languages such as "0". This makes it easier for the biological brain to memorize.
, which makes it easier for users to operate machinery. High-level languages are even better and closer to natural languages.
Of course, even if humans could convert those symbols into mechanical language written purely in 0s and 1s, it would be of no use.
Indeed, those are "languages that machines can understand", but there are differences between machines. It does not mean that if you put these things into a computer on earth, it will run naturally. This is unrealistic.
The information inside cannot be converted into content that humans can read. The things inside may also include "video and audio files of unknown formats", but unknown formats are unknown formats. Computers developed by people on earth may not be able to open them.
A file format used by some people on earth, let alone aliens.
In addition, many people believe that this symbol system was probably specially designed to increase the information density of the stone slabs. It is really not like normal natural language. There are a large number of symbols in it, which are combinations and variations of simple geometric figures.
.This is not in line with normal writing habits.
However, a group of scholars such as Kanbaru Son also raised doubts. They believed that judging based on "writing habits" is too hasty.
"This is a very unreasonable judgment." Kanhara said, "Human writing habits are completely based on human physiological basis. But it is entirely possible for aliens to have a completely different physiological basis from humans."
In the Rama Project Park, everyone is happily discussing everything about aliens every day, as if it were some kind of science fiction literature research meeting.
But most of the time, scientists are just dreaming.
After all, there is no evidence.
Xiang Shan thinks this kind of life is quite pleasant.
One day after dinner, Lao Liu stopped Xiangshan and said that he wanted to go for a walk with him to eat.
On a certain trail, Xiang Shan asked: "Teacher Liu, do you have something to tell me?"
Lao Liu nodded: "Indeed. Xiao Xiang, I have to ask you a question. What do you think of the Rama project?"
"It's pretty good, isn't it?" Xiang Shan said without hesitation: "The work isn't heavy, and it's quite fun to discuss how aliens are doing every day."
Old Liu patted his forehead: "Yes."
"What's wrong? Teacher, why do you want to talk about this issue?"
Xiangshan felt something was wrong.
Old Liu said: "As you know, our country was very short on time when it came to assembling our research team. We only found a lot of 'professions that may be useful', and the team was very bloated. Then
Now it has become like this...the main reason is that there is nothing in it and there are too few research subjects."
Xiang Shan was keenly aware of it: "You want to go back?"
Old Liu looked at the giant white tent in the distance: "When I was young, I also liked watching "UFO", but this is the earth. What is the saying? 'Any transcendent and flying thoughts'
They will all fall to the ground with a bang, the gravity of reality is too heavy."
"But this is the study of aliens!"
"The technology of aliens is only slightly more advanced than ours." Old Liu said: "And here we have five major countries, and many scholars from other countries. Even some of the wreckage has to be sent to China for handover.
Let’s conduct research for domestic research institutes with military background. I’m afraid this ‘a little bit’ is not enough for so many people. The competition is too fierce.”
"Even if you can profit from it, I'm afraid it will be subject to many restrictions due to confidentiality regulations."