Goal-Oriented Evolution: Difference between revisions

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** ''[[Star Trek: The Next Generation|Star Trek the Next Generation]]'': A humanoid named "John Doe" encountered by the crew was part of a minority of his species that were "evolving" (actually, undergoing metamorphosis, but they called it "evolution") into [[Energy Beings]].
** ''[[Star Trek: The Next Generation|Star Trek the Next Generation]]'': A humanoid named "John Doe" encountered by the crew was part of a minority of his species that were "evolving" (actually, undergoing metamorphosis, but they called it "evolution") into [[Energy Beings]].
** A later ''[[Star Trek: The Next Generation|Next Generation]]'' episode, ''The Chase'', reveals that all life in the Alpha Quadrant had descended from microbes seeded by a race of precursors billions of years ago. Somehow, because the microbes came from the precursors' homeworld, they were able to develop into multiple humanoid species on hundreds of different planets. At the same time. Who can interbreed with each other. It makes more sense than any other explanation no matter how much [[Fridge Logic]] is applied.
** A later ''[[Star Trek: The Next Generation|Next Generation]]'' episode, ''The Chase'', reveals that all life in the Alpha Quadrant had descended from microbes seeded by a race of precursors billions of years ago. Somehow, because the microbes came from the precursors' homeworld, they were able to develop into multiple humanoid species on hundreds of different planets. At the same time. Who can interbreed with each other. It makes more sense than any other explanation no matter how much [[Fridge Logic]] is applied.
** ''[[Star Trek: Voyager|Star Trek Voyager]]'': The [[Canon Dis Continuity|infamous]] episode "Threshold" [[Playing with a Trope|plays with]] this trope. Tom Paris undergoes "accelerated evolution" after travelling at trans-[[Faster-Than-Light Travel|warp]] speeds, and eventually reaches humanity's evolutionary goal -- he turns into a giant newt. (He got better). The episode's writers later revealed that their idea was to show that the final "goal" of human evolution could turn out to be something seemingly primitive, rather than the "advanced", hyper-intelligent forms of life that this trope usually results in.
** ''[[Star Trek: Voyager|Star Trek Voyager]]'': The [[Canon Discontinuity|infamous]] episode "Threshold" [[Playing with a Trope|plays with]] this trope. Tom Paris undergoes "accelerated evolution" after travelling at trans-[[Faster-Than-Light Travel|warp]] speeds, and eventually reaches humanity's evolutionary goal -- he turns into a giant newt. (He got better). The episode's writers later revealed that their idea was to show that the final "goal" of human evolution could turn out to be something seemingly primitive, rather than the "advanced", hyper-intelligent forms of life that this trope usually results in.
** ''[[Star Trek: Enterprise|Star Trek Enterprise]]'': The episode "Dear Doctor" showcased the "path evolution is supposed to take" misconception. This was Captain Archer's justification for refusing to ''cure a plague'' he had a cure for (he believed the civilization suffering from it was "supposed" to die out to make way for another species) leading some like [[SF Debris]] to accuse him of genocide.
** ''[[Star Trek: Enterprise|Star Trek Enterprise]]'': The episode "Dear Doctor" showcased the "path evolution is supposed to take" misconception. This was Captain Archer's justification for refusing to ''cure a plague'' he had a cure for (he believed the civilization suffering from it was "supposed" to die out to make way for another species) leading some like [[SF Debris]] to accuse him of genocide.
* ''[[Doctor Who]]'':
* ''[[Doctor Who]]'':
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* ''[[Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri]]'': A planet (called Planet) whose lifeforms evolve ''almost'' to the point of sentience every 100 million years, but the massive clots of sentient fungus kill all life on Planet and the process begins again from the survivors. Every time, the end result of the evolutionary cycle is the same - an almost sentient planet made of psychic fungus. Your goal is {{spoiler|to find a way to communicate with Planet and teach it how not to kill itself, saving it and granting yourself immortality by [[Brain Uploading]] at the same time}}.
* ''[[Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri]]'': A planet (called Planet) whose lifeforms evolve ''almost'' to the point of sentience every 100 million years, but the massive clots of sentient fungus kill all life on Planet and the process begins again from the survivors. Every time, the end result of the evolutionary cycle is the same - an almost sentient planet made of psychic fungus. Your goal is {{spoiler|to find a way to communicate with Planet and teach it how not to kill itself, saving it and granting yourself immortality by [[Brain Uploading]] at the same time}}.
* ''[[Super Robot Wars]]'': {{spoiler|Alfimi}} was created to be the "apex of human evolution".
* ''[[Super Robot Wars]]'': {{spoiler|Alfimi}} was created to be the "apex of human evolution".
* ''[[Star Ocean the Last Hope]]'': The [[Big Bad]] seems to think that it's possible to create a "better" evolution that will save humanity from violence and sadness. Even worse, the heroes believe that it's necessary to "make our hearts worthy" in order to evolve.
* ''[[Star Ocean: The Last Hope]]'': The [[Big Bad]] seems to think that it's possible to create a "better" evolution that will save humanity from violence and sadness. Even worse, the heroes believe that it's necessary to "make our hearts worthy" in order to evolve.
* ''[[Fire Emblem]]'': It's theorized the Zunanma were subconsciously evolving to be more like their "gods". The gods thought this was bad but the only solutions they could think of were abandonment or annihilation and Zunanma didn't like either.
* ''[[Fire Emblem]]'': It's theorized the Zunanma were subconsciously evolving to be more like their "gods". The gods thought this was bad but the only solutions they could think of were abandonment or annihilation and Zunanma didn't like either.
* ''[[Wild Arms 3]]'': The Prophets describe five stages of evolution; they hope to evolve the world into its final stage. Even the characters who call out this notion as BS believe the dragons lived at their "evolutionary apex" before dying out. {{spoiler|The former statement is justified oddly in that the Prophets were under the coercion of the ego-maniacal Demons.}}
* ''[[Wild Arms 3]]'': The Prophets describe five stages of evolution; they hope to evolve the world into its final stage. Even the characters who call out this notion as BS believe the dragons lived at their "evolutionary apex" before dying out. {{spoiler|The former statement is justified oddly in that the Prophets were under the coercion of the ego-maniacal Demons.}}
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