A Revolution in Evolution

Throughout the Harvard T station, one is now bombarded with questions that not even Harvard students typically ask: “Could you spare some DNA?” “Are 42 arms just as useful as 43?”

It’s impossible to avoid these strange slogans, popping out from brightly colored backgrounds in nearly every corner of the underground metro. This massive advertisement campaign is for the newest addition to Maxis Software, the creators of the world-famous “The Sims.” But don’t expect to see picture perfect families in this new video game—“Spore” is all about creating your very own species, from the cute and cuddly to the downright bizarre.

It allows you, the player, to be God in your own universe. But with great power comes great responsibility. After creation comes evolution. You’re in charge of guiding it all the way from prokaryote to space invader.

It’s no surprise that this ability to be master of the universe has appealed to Harvard students.

“The game is simply amazing,” Steven N. Maheshwary ’12 says. “I like the fact that it combines real time strategy, macroevolution, civilization, and other facets of development.”

Maheshwary is one of a number of Harvard students who have discovered the new game outside of the T station, changing his species’ appearance, adding features he feels necessary for survival: claws, tail, wings, bigger biceps, bigger... well, anything. Soon enough, you’ll find yourself doing in a few hours what humans have done for thousands of years—building civilizations, waging wars, and attempting to dominate the forces of nature.

But Spore has an educational side as well. Indeed, it is a biology lesson in disguise. After viewing the launch video at www.spore.com, Professor of Biological Anthropology Richard W. Wrangham said, “It looks like a wonderful way to view evolutionary theory through fun, and it might make people realize that human beings are just another species.” Given the time, Wrangham said he too would play the game.

Spore has evolutionary professors, Harvard students, and many more intrigued—and for good reasons. If you thought Harvard students were a weird species, check out the free Creature Creator on Spore’s Web site. God doesn’t play dice with the universe, but would YOU?