Evolution and Conceptual Shrimp Traps

From Zanecorpwiki

To the extent that concepts evolve, they seem to do so through a series of "shrimp traps" that the determine the behavior of the various actors in the system.

Imagine a series of shrimp traps with the bottom of the cage cut off and mated to another shrimp trap:

---| |------| |---
 \ | |    \ | |
  \----\   \----\
  /----/   /----/
 / | |    / | |
---| |------| |---

If we begin at the wrong end, and imagine trying to escape back through the first trap you have two problems:

• First, you have to figure out the trap.
• Second, even know how it works, you have bumping and congestion due to the physical nature of the trap. It may even be dangerous to navigate up stream even if all the other shrimp are civil and cooperate. In the face of a rush to get through, the transition can become more dangerous than simply staying in the trap. You may rationally hang back and let the carnage abate before even attempting to move upstream yourself.

That's true of both real and my metaphorical shrimp traps. In the world of conceptual evolution, there is a third and fourth challenge:

• Third, the mechanism of each trap is different. Sometimes slightly, but sometimes radically so. You must first divine how to move to the next level before even attempting to implement the plan.

The evolution of concepts to me appears as if it moves in a similar fashion. It explains the fits and starts, the value of figuring it out first, the frustration of those who have learned to move on with th reluctance of their fellows to follow along.^{[notes 1]}

• Fourth, there are many upstream cages to explore at any one point. Some are useful, some are dead ends, and each has a varying level of danger and other parameters associated with them. You must not only crack traps, but decide which traps to crack in order to maximize progress.

Notes

1. ↑ In the real world, the community is linked, so it's in your best interest to have everyone move upstream with you. Imagine a world where some people never moved on from riding horses. Okay, the people in cars might have an advantage, but the reluctance of the horse crowd means the drivers have to go slower down highways, there's a far greater risk of a horse-car accident because of difference in speed and the additional variable of the horse who could get suddenly startled or have a heart attack and throw the rider into oncoming traffic, etc. Note that you don't need everyone to come along, just enough so that your economy reaches critical mass. For different "cages" the critical mass may be different.