论技术设计的进化

On the Evolution of Technological Design

突变和基因重组是生物进化的动力,自然选择决定生物进化的方向。与生物进化相似,技术设计的发展过程也主要表现为进化。技术设计进化的信息载体是技术模因,只有那些有效的、实用的、新颖的和有代表性的技术模因才能通过遗传、重组和变异,累积到新的技术设计中。人工选择会将有利的变异保存下来,不断积累着遗传信息以至形成新的模因组合,使新的设计与环境相适应;同时,人工选择将具有适应性的遗传组合在设计中保留下来,不断生成更为复杂和更具有适应性的新设计。

Mutation and genetic recombination is the driving force of biological evolution, with natural selection deciding evolutionary directions. Similar to biological evolution, the process of technological design is also characterized by evolution. The information carrier of technological design evolution is technological meme and it is those effective, applicable, innovative and representative technological memes that can be accumulated into new designs through heredity, recombination and mutation. Human selection helps to preserve the beneficial variations, accumulate the hereditary information and form new technological memes~ aiming to make new designs adaptable to the environment. Meanwhile, human selection maintains the hereditary combinations of good adaptability and generates more complex and adaptable technological designs.