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https://keiwan.itch.io/evolution
I found this evolution simulator by Keiwan on itch.io a while back. I find it fascinating how the algorithms are complicated enough to figure out how they can utilize almost any organization of muscles, bones and joints that they are given to evolve into a ‘creature’ more suitable for the given task. Algorithms such as these, that can take something so abstract and make it functional really highlight the fact that we may even be living in an ever-changing simulation ourselves. There is no way to say that there isn’t something that ‘developed’ our universe and let it run on its own. Many facets of our universe function very similarly to this evolution sim, although the ‘real’ things are much more complex than this. The algorithms involved in the sim are able to pick out the best uses for the creatures’ configurations and infuse those capabilities into the next generation from what I can tell. Over time, the creatures are able to develop more specified functions which continue to improve at the given task as long as the program is running, which sounds relatively similar to how we find ourselves evolving physically, technologically, and otherwise here on Earth.