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From: nahas@particle.sps.mot.com (Michael Nahas)
Subject: Re: Is Intelligence Inevitable?
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Date: Wed, 19 Jul 1995 13:39:43 GMT
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Is intelligence inevitable?

No.  No traits are inevitable.  There are a few things that can
be viewed as almost inevitable - such as a desire to live and to 
reproduce, but there are many examples in nature where specific
creatures do not have these desires.  The community as a whole
usually does contain those "desires".  For example, a single
worker ant cannot reproduce, but the colony as a whole can
reproduce itself (including more worker ants).

Intelligence is a very expensive attribute.  The entire body
runs at about 200 watts.  If I recall correctly, the brain
uses about 50 watts.  So 25% of our energy is used to maintain
intelligence.  An extremely large payoff in food is needed
for intelligence to be considered a positive attribute 
rather than a tax on our system.

However, intelligence does have a great deal of stability in the 
gene pool.  Because general problem solving abilities can be
applied to any problem, a species with intelligence is more
likely to survive in a region where conditions change rapidly.
Intelligence also creates new solutions to old problems, so
less energy can be expended for the same result.  In the end,
because intelligence is useful in almost every situation, it is
usually an asset, not a burden.  Therefore, once it does enter
the gene pool, it is likely to remain there.

	Michael Nahas



