Figure 1: This stepper machine is my kind of fitness landscape. Fitness, in evolutionary biology, measures an organism’s expected reproductive success. Utility, in economics and decision theory, measures an agent’s preferences, i.e. it is what we seek out. We often blur the lines between what an organism wants and what it evolutionarily needs. Why do we love sugar? The standard explanation is that in ancestral environments, sweetness signalled calorie density, which aided survival and r...| The Dan MacKinlay stable of variably-well-consider’d enterprises
One day, Hudson Wingate was a healthy 13-month-old headed for fun at daycare. The next day, he was headed for admission to Rady Children’s Hospital. His vocal cords were suddenly paralyzed, and he could hardly breathe. He could no longer pull himself up, walk, talk or swallow. The medical team’s best assessment, based on the…| Rady Children's Health
Mario Luna, an eighth-grader from Culver City, has always been passionate about basketball. He even dreams of playing in the NBA one day. However, on January 12, his world was turned upside down. It all started with a stomachache which quickly turned into a more serious heart condition. Mario’s heart began beating uncontrollably and his…| Rady Children's Health
Licensed attorney Luis Romero risk safety to fight for immigration legislation| Jed Riffe Films