[Tyler]

Computer scientists find mass extinctions can accelerate evolution
12 August 2015, 7:12 pm

Computer scientists have found that robots evolve more quickly and efficiently after a virtual mass extinction modeled after real-life disasters such as the one that killed off the dinosaurs. Beyond implications for artificial intelligence, the research supports the idea that mass extinctions actually speed up evolution by unleashing new creativity in adaptations.

Source: Artificial Intelligence News -- ScienceDaily

[ranch vermin]

That sounds dandily idiotic.

Obviously!!!!   the more mutations you make in a population you avoid local optima that way,  but if you craft the next generation with a targeting method, it goes alot better than just randomizing weights, as long as you got the method attuned to the task!