Bedau, Mark A. “Can unrealistic computer models illuminate theoretical biology.” In Proceedings of the 1999 genetic and evolutionary computation conference workshop program , pp. 20-23. Morgan Kaufmann, 1999.
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There are at least two quite different kinds of computational models of complex biological systems. One strives for maximal fidelity to the details of particular natural systems, exploiting prodigious computer power to push the envelope on micro-mechanical realism. But I am interested in models which intentionally abstract away from the micro-details in real systems, models which are as unrealistic as possible. These models are common in the field of artificial life, and I discuss them here to balance the (appropriate) attention given to realistic computational models in theoretical biology. 2 Why Unrealistic Models The models I have in mind are unrealistic in the sense that they abstract away from as many micro-level details as possible. The goal of this abstraction is to find the minimal set of properties sufficient to generate and explain the phenomena under investigation. So, for example, to illuminate multi-level emergence.