Phonetic option

In this option the "fitness function" is phonetic similarity to the target phrase. For example, "Miphynkx" (for "Methinks") scores higher than "Mxlhwnkl", whereas under Dawkins' original scheme the two versions would obtain the same score, since they both contain the same number of wrong letters. This could be called the Shibboleth option:
Then said they unto him, Say now Shibboleth: and he said Sibboleth: for he could not frame to pronounce it right. Then they took him, and slew him at the passages of Jordan: and there fell at that time of the Ephraimites forty and two thousand.

Judges, ch 12 v 6.

In this context natural selection plays the role of the avenging Gileadites.

Here is an example of a typical simulation using this option, starting with a random string and then showing every tenth generation:


KBTASXTDHLHYWJYZKCTXSZWKSWDC
MITASXQSHAHYWZYZKKTXS WQAWIC
MITYSNQSHAEYYZYZIKYAS WYASIL
MITYSNQS AE YZ ZIKEAU WYASIL
MITYSNQS YE YZ LIKEAU WYASIL
METYINQS YE YZ LIKEAU WYASIL
METYINKS IE IZ LIKEAU WYASIL
METYINKS IT IZ LIKEAU WYASIL
METYINKS IT IS LIKEAU WYASIL
METYINKS IT IS LIKE U WYASEL
METYINKS IT IS LIKE U WEASEL
METYINKS IT IS LIKE U WEASEL
Remember that the sentence is meant to sound right: try reading out the successive approximations to the target phrase. (The first few may be a bit tricky to say.)

Alternatively, if you have speech recognition software such as IBM's ViaVoice on your computer, you may derive some entertainment from copying the output (eg as shown above) and listening as the program's speech synthesizer reads the evolving versions of the phrase. This is like "listening in" on evolution as it occurs.

Next: ►Visual option

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