The Nature of Code

9 Evolutionary Computing

Time flies like an arrow; fruit flies like a banana.

—Unknown

Pueblo pottery (photo courtesy of the National Park Service)

For centuries, pottery created by the Ancestral Puebloans and Mogollon cultures of the southwestern United States and northern Mexico has held great significance in both ceremonial and everyday contexts. Techniques and design elements like those used to create this Chaco Ancestral Pueblo bowl are passed down through generations, with each potter learning, preserving, and subtly adapting these designs. This ongoing process gives rise to a continually evolving tapestry of familial and cultural expression. ...