Strong evidence that a search algorithm can find high functionality in an astronomically large search space

Textbook natural selection in an asexual population. It is well recognized that multiple competing beneficial mutations co-exist at any given instance of time in the LTEE (by a phenomenon known as clonal interference), partly facilitated by the daily recurrence of phases of exponential competitive growth, followed by population bottlenecking, and generally speaking the beneficial mutations with stronger effect eventually win out in the long term.

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