CA Creativity

CA2058  starts as a growing larva. In the adult stage it produces nectar (black), which is stored in a big vesicle, surrounded by a layer of nectar producing cells (epithelia). CA2058 is immortal daily two units of nectar. (Each time unit represents one day). The CA history is portrayed in the upper left  corner of the image, which portrays also a gray barrier positioned 60 units from the CA seed. During the experiment the barrier was moved toward the CA seed. The numbers above the CA histories are their distances from the barrier.

Barrier at distance =14: Daily nectar production drops from two units to one (50%). This is the first indicator that CA health declined.

Barrier at distance =12: Larva matures slower, and starts producing nectar at an older age.Its nectar content remains constant.

Barrier at distance =10:  Larva matures faster and starts producing nectar at a younger age, yet it nectar content is low.

Barrier at distance =9:  Larva matures slower and gains more cells (proliferation, hyperplasia ). Its nectar amounts to that of a CA at distance 14.

As the barrier moves nearer and nearer, the CA attempts to restore its production. At distance 5 it is still immortal yet its cells become 'primitive' or undifferentiated.  At distance 4 the larva dies. At barrier distance 3, the larva lives. At distance 2 the seed dies upon being planted. The graph depicts thecummulative nectar content in 200 time units.

The CA illustrates some important biological properties.
- Larva precedes adulthood (maturity).
- Nectar production may serve as a measure of CA's health.
- In all circumstances a CA will always attempt  to mature, become an adult, and produce nectar. If this is not achievable CA will enter a dormant state until the barrier is removed (distance 5). This 'urge to mature' is Aristotle's  Final Cause

1. Material cause:  CA structure.
2. Formal cause:  Its rule
3. Efficient cause: Barrier
4. Final cause: To produce more nectar.

Barrier removal

When barrier is removed, CA at distance 5 awakes from its dormantstate as a spore, and starts producing again. The barrier at distance 7 also induced in the CA a state of dormancy, however the cells established a new existence at the barrier and lost their capacity to regenerate. When barrier was removed the CA started moving towards it at a velocity of 1 unit/day. During dormancy the CA was conditioned by the barrier and now it seeks its vicinity.  When reaching it, CA dies.

Creativity and adaptation.

The final cause requires that the CA be creative. CA creativity is manifested in several ways:
- Accelerated maturation ( distances 8,10).
- The CA interacts with the barrier to 'solve its problem'  (distance 9) it first covers it with 'primitive cells' which use the barrier substance for attaining adulthood. The barrier is made of inert matter (=1), which is used by the larva to become a competent adult.

Some (conservative) biologists, might describe the CA behavior as an ongoing adaptation to a changing environment. This is how Darwinists explain evolution of the species. Yet life is more than that!  It is creative!. This hallmark of life may now be explored with cellular automata.

Further reading:

Bergson: Creative Evolution
Decline of Darwinism
Evolution theory from a new perspective

The creativity of the CA at distance = 9 may be further improved. Like by  adding additional players into this small universe, mating two CA, and so on.

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