We can learn from the bees
2014-07-21
Bees algorithm.
In computer science the Bees Algorithm is a population-based search algorithm.
It mimics the food foraging behaviour of honey bee colonies. In its basic version the algorithm performs a kind of
neighborhood search combined with global search, and can be used for both combinatorial optimization and
continuous optimization.
The only conditions for the application of the Bees Algorithm is the measure of distance between the colony
and the cache of nectar containing flowers and the quality and quantity of the flowers.
Algorithm have been proven in a number of studies. After all, bees have made a living off it for eons.
In computer science the Bees Algorithm is a population-based search algorithm.
It mimics the food foraging behaviour of honey bee colonies. In its basic version the algorithm performs a kind of
neighborhood search combined with global search, and can be used for both combinatorial optimization and
continuous optimization.
The only conditions for the application of the Bees Algorithm is the measure of distance between the colony
and the cache of nectar containing flowers and the quality and quantity of the flowers.
Algorithm have been proven in a number of studies. After all, bees have made a living off it for eons.
Here's a human take on what the bees are up to.
A small fraction of the colony constantly searches the environment looking for new flower patches.
These scout bees move randomly in the area surrounding the hive, evaluating the food value of the sources
they come across. When they return to the hive, the scouts deposit the food harvested. Those individuals that
found a food source of high value to the colony go to an area in the hive called the “dance floor”, and perform a
ritual known as the waggle dance. Through the waggle dance a scout bee communicates the location of its discovery
to idle onlookers, which join in in the exploitation of the flower patch.
Since the length of the dance is proportional to the scout’s rating of the food source, more foragers get recruited to
harvest the best rated flower patches. After dancing, the scout return to the food source it discovered to collect more
food. As long as they are evaluated as profitable, rich food sources will be advertised by the scouts when they return
to the hive. Recruited foragers may waggle dance as well, increasing the recruitment for highly rewarding flower
patches. Thanks to this autocatalytic process, the bee colony is able to quickly switch the focus of the foraging effort
on the most profitable flower patches.
These scout bees move randomly in the area surrounding the hive, evaluating the food value of the sources
they come across. When they return to the hive, the scouts deposit the food harvested. Those individuals that
found a food source of high value to the colony go to an area in the hive called the “dance floor”, and perform a
ritual known as the waggle dance. Through the waggle dance a scout bee communicates the location of its discovery
to idle onlookers, which join in in the exploitation of the flower patch.
Since the length of the dance is proportional to the scout’s rating of the food source, more foragers get recruited to
harvest the best rated flower patches. After dancing, the scout return to the food source it discovered to collect more
food. As long as they are evaluated as profitable, rich food sources will be advertised by the scouts when they return
to the hive. Recruited foragers may waggle dance as well, increasing the recruitment for highly rewarding flower
patches. Thanks to this autocatalytic process, the bee colony is able to quickly switch the focus of the foraging effort
on the most profitable flower patches.
It's lucky there are no Captitalist bees or the algorith would go something like this.
These scout bees move randomly in the area surrounding the hive, evaluating the food value of the sources
they come across. When they return to the hive, the scouts deposits a small portion the food harvested.
Those individuals that found a food source of high value to the colony go to an area in the hive called the
“dance floor”, and perform a ritual known as back stabbing. When only one bee is left he conceals the
location of the nectar bonanza and immediately sets about creating a circle of "close friends" who he will
monitor for faithfulness for the rest of their bee lives. To these friends he will reveal the location of parts
of the bonanza but will never let any of them to know the full extent of the nectar find.
Next comes bee lawyers, bee police, and the bee military to protect the whole operation.
they come across. When they return to the hive, the scouts deposits a small portion the food harvested.
Those individuals that found a food source of high value to the colony go to an area in the hive called the
“dance floor”, and perform a ritual known as back stabbing. When only one bee is left he conceals the
location of the nectar bonanza and immediately sets about creating a circle of "close friends" who he will
monitor for faithfulness for the rest of their bee lives. To these friends he will reveal the location of parts
of the bonanza but will never let any of them to know the full extent of the nectar find.
Next comes bee lawyers, bee police, and the bee military to protect the whole operation.
Worker bees will be escorted to the nectar bonanza to harvest the nectar and will be constantly monitored
by the bee police and military to make sure they deposit all the nectar in the cache of the Capitalist bee.
The Capitalist bee will then demand payment from each worker bee to claim any of the nectar as their own.
The bee colony has been transformed from a happy and peaceful hive depending on cooeration into a hell hole
of intimidation, competition, and threats that benefits only the capitalist bees.
Suddenly the worker bees find themselves working twice a hard and twice as long for half the nectar that
nature used to offer them.
Fortunately mother nature has afforded bees a character far superior to that of humans.
Can we or will we learn from the bees?
The Bees Algorithm has found many applications in engineering, such as:
Optimisation of classifiers / clustering systems
Manufacturing
Control
Bioengineering
Other optimisation problems
Multi-objective optimisation...
Optimisation of classifiers / clustering systems
Manufacturing
Control
Bioengineering
Other optimisation problems
Multi-objective optimisation...
and my favorite, communism.
Greed and treachery are just a small part of human nature but ones that are encouraged, indeed required, in capitalist societies.
Computers could be used to run a communist economic system since fair distribution of wealth is all that is needed.
Computers could not be used to run a capitalist economic system since that would require capricious distribution of wealth
and a cover-up. Computers are not good at determining which part of their work they should hide and are not interested
in hoarding money.
So do you say that greed and treachery are the human nature, and noone would cooperate and share things unless computers program every aspect of life? (or dictators who are overcome by their own greed dictate the whole society?)
Nope, the problem with capitalism is it is based primarily on greed and other ugly human traits such as deceit and treachery.
Socialism and Communism are based on cooperation and sharing.
Computers can effectively run a communist society because they can be programmed to distribute wealth equitably. Nobody is going to argue that a surgeon should be compensated more than a clerk but no one should have a billion dollars or more. What person with a billion dollars worked 20,000 time longer or harder than the average person?
Computers could not be used to run a capitalist society. Who would want to program greed, deceit, and treachery into the computers that run society? A computer has no need to hoard money at the expense of the people who did the actual work. This is precisely what capitalism is all about.
Therefore the problem doesn't lie with the word "capitalism" itself, but with the absence of rule of law (which is easily visible under ANY kind of ideology)
What you call "crony capitalism" is the only kind of capitalism there is.
I feel that your "capitalist bees" are living in a crony capitalism instead. Because as you know, bees are not equals and they can get away with forming friend circles because they bribe the queen bee? And she protects their "rights" over the rich food source?
I dont think bees can go and start a small garden of their own, buy fertilizers and come up with creative ways for higher fertility or better yield. If they were as diverse as people, maybe they would then employ other bees and start their own hives and challenge the queen because she favours some other worker groups?
This is called crony capitalism, where individuals are NOT equal in front of law because rule of law is manipulated as a tool for more personal profit. This is not the definition of capitalism, just like Stalin is not the definition of communism.
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