For the sake of addictive watching, turn off your reality TV shows, and go download (for free) the simple yet gripping survival simulation program Swimbots.

If you’re old enough, you may remember the evolution simulation game SimLife, developed by the same people who brought us SimCity and the Sims. Swimbots is a bit like SimLife, but it seems to work better. It’s just as addictive, in that it creates little simulated living things with a genetic makeup that determines their structural function and behavior, gives them a food source, and lets them go.

It’s a basic program, and for that reason, it’s evading my attempts to give you a screen capture. I’ll just have to tell you then, that right now the thick red breeders look like they’re heading for a showdown with the rainbow twirlers. Change conditions of the environment and see what happens to the critters that evolve.

Yes, evolve. Someone go see if they can get Sarah Palin to try to understand the program. Now that would be evolution.