p.177-178 The type of process through which an increase in complexity occurs
in living organisms is known in one form as the natural selection of random variations, widely accepted as the chief mechanism
of evolution. To bring it into its correct relationship to the second law of thermodynamics, this process should more accurately
be described as the selection of improbable variations, the term "improbable" being used in its statistical sense... The selection
which occurs in evolution... A means is present of preserving in the system the effect of certain transformations which are
improbable and of ignoring the effect of other transformations, including the reverse transformation to that which is preserved.
p.182 We must now turn to examine the types of learning shown by animals and enquire if there are
any features which demand the existence here also of an "evolutionary" process.
p.183 The third type of learning is classed by Thorpe as trial-and-error learning. Essentially, the animal
makes more-or-less random movements and selects, in the sense that it subsequently repeats, those which produce the "desired"
result; namely, those which lead to the correct conditions for the release of a further response.
p.186 To justify our hypothesis in its application to the phenomenon of learning it is necessary
to suggest a type of mechanism, consistent with what is known about the physiology of the central nervous system, which is
capable of performing a selection of variation in time in a manner analogous to the natural selection of variation in form
found in organic evolution.
p.194 The main thesis of this article is that there is a parallel between the process of organic
evolution and the process of learning, and the basis of the argument is the unique kinematic nature of the process
which results in a selection of variations.
p.211 It is suggested that the most general feature of learning is the increase in complexity of behaviour
which results.
p.211-212 Evolution by natural selection of random variations is the best known example of this type of
process [evolutionary]... it is suggested that learning is [another] example.
