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#397 Gordon Burghardt: The Evolution And Function of Play

The Dissenter

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The Functionality of Play

For play to evolve, doesn't need to serve some important function. We did some modeling where we actually looked at some of the ideas that I've developed on evolution of play and showed that play can actually evolve without any overt function. Once it's established, then it may become functional. So maybe a byproduct of other behaviors of the animal. But once it's there, it can then be developed. Like the people doodling. You know, you're bored and you're sort of doodling in a class or something like that. Oh, that's not bad. And then you start making some functional picture or something out of that. It could push this back into animal

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