Aug

19

The origin of the deceptive species

August 19, 2009 posted by indiatime |

A non-resident friend visiting India recently wrote to me about how during his 3-week short trip to his homeland, he felt mugged, stolen from or deceived every step of the way. From the 3-wheeler autos to local vegetable markets to tourist attractions, he said he constantly felt that more money was taken from him, with locals using this or that ruse.

So yesterday I sent my friend this new research on robots where the researchers found their robots learning the art of deception by hiding food from other robots.

Swiss researchers recently programmed robots with some basic thought process and biological communications (artificial neural networks) abilities. They then had these robots compete for food in an enclosed space. The robots had to shine a specific colored light if they were close to a food. The robots went thru several generations (as other species would) where the scientists copied the patterns in the most successful robots to the next generation.

By the 50th generation of these robots, the researchers found that some of the robots were not shining the light when they were close to food (these robots didn’t want the other robots to know where the food was). And after a few hundred generations, most of the robots had completely stopped signalling when they were close to food. Meaning, that they had learnt the art of deception as a survival mechanism when they had to compete with others in a crowded environment.

Since we in India are definitely in some multiple of some thousandth generation, it suddenly seems obvious why many of us, end up learning to cheat or deceive. Actually, I am amazed that there are many who still haven’t taken to corruption and still do try to do the right thing day in and day out. And I’m sure, in some distant universe or some faraway galaxy, a team of God’s researchers must be wondering why.


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7 Comments so far

  1. Light on August 20, 2009 12:15 am

    Is America adopting Hinduism ways? Opps!!
    Atleast now they should’nt complaint:-P

  2. KD on August 20, 2009 5:39 am

    This was really a good analogy. We have mastered this art to the fullest.Soon the ones who dont cheat will be extinct.
    Jai Ho

  3. Meenal on August 20, 2009 11:09 am

    KD’s comment-

    Oh my. LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL

    I’ve seen more people do well by pure honest WORK, DECENCY and AMBITION than those wanna be ‘cut throats’ who fantasize that cheating is the way of life. LOL.

    As for us “mastering the art”, there are some very skilled con artists anywhere you look on the globe, not just India. Go to New York City for example, and you will come across some very mastered con artists.

    Try some hard work, effort, decency and AMBITION.

    My. Good luck to you, dear….

  4. Vinoy on August 20, 2009 8:35 pm

    My wife lost quite a good sum from her bag hanging by her shoulder at Piccadily,in London.And it was such a ‘fine’ exercise that she had no inkling of that! there are ‘artists’ everywhere in the world!

  5. KD on August 21, 2009 2:28 am

    This is the typical attitude, as soon as somebody says that there is something wrong with you , people come back and give London and New York example(sounds familiar with Mumbai Commisioner). Analogy is not for street thieves. It is the social atmosphere which has been questioned. In no way I mean “cheating” is the way of life and No way means I am a cheat or have no ambition or decency.Just for experience try opening a business in Delhi/New York/London. You will know the differnce and can make more mature judgement.
    Jago India Jago

  6. challa on August 21, 2009 8:54 pm

    I am sorry but this analaogy is disgraceful.

    You are not clever because you cheat. You are not more advanced.

    You just lack ethics and an effective judicial system.

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