[Sir Gawain]

the problem with this analogy is that it only makes one attempt -- ie, there is no re-evaluation -- to use the parlance of genetic algoriths, no fitness function. that is a key part of the iteration: make random guesses, check for fitness, modify highest fitting etc... I'd like to see what the chances are if these monkeys had some appropriate fitness function. something based on an english dictionary.

So you're saying this accident called evolution somehow learned from its mistakes?

[gfactor]

So you're saying this accident called evolution somehow learned from its mistakes?

more accurate would be that it forgets its mistakes and works on its successes....

[Dan Day]

So you're saying this accident called evolution somehow learned from its mistakes?

Only in the sense that its mistakes get weeded out, and thus its successes accumulate, providing a "step up" for the next cycle of trial and error.