Noble Ape

Noble Ape

Initial release	1996 (1996)
Platform	Mac OS, Mac OS X, Linux, Microsoft Windows
Type	simulation, god game
Website	http://www.nobleape.com/

Noble Ape is an artificial life development project launched in June, 1996 by Tom Barbalet. It was designed to be a forum for a diversity of contributors to work towards a coherent cognitive simulation development environment.^[1]

The Simulation

The central software of the project is the Noble Ape Simulation, based on the ideas outlined in Noble Ape Philosophic. There are two primary aims of the Simulation;

• to simulate the biological environment the Noble Apes inhabit, and,
• to simulate the Noble Apes' cognitive processes.^[2]

The Noble Apes move around and react to external and internal events (weather, fear, panic, sleep, ...). Noble Ape integrates many concepts in the areas of philosophy, biology and physics.^[3]

Technology

Noble Ape is available as open source software, under the Noble Ape Open Source License, and is distributed with Apple Computer's CHUD Tools, included with every new Apple Macintosh computer. It runs under Mac, Windows, and Unix platforms.^[2][4]

The graphics engine in the Noble Ape Simulation, codenamed Ocelot, is a non-polygonal engine, which allows smooth and quick rendering of land and water surfaces.^[5]

The Noble Ape Simulation also contains the programming language, ApeScript.^[2][6]

Noble Ape also features a podcast, Ape Reality, where various aspects of the programming, biology, philosophy and meta-theory behind the development are discussed.^[7][8]

References

1. ^ Barbalet, Tom. "Noble Ape History". http://www.nobleape.com/docs/acts.html. Retrieved 2007-11-17. 
2. ^ ^{a b c} Barbalet, Tom. "Noble Ape Simulation". http://www.nobleape.com/sim/. Retrieved 2007-11-17. 
3. ^ Cooper, Quentin. "Material World BBC4". http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/science/thematerialworld_20030327.shtml. Retrieved 2007-11-17. 
4. ^ Slingerland, Nathan. "Optimizing with Shark: Big Payoff, Small Effort". http://developer.apple.com/tools/shark_optimize.html. Retrieved 2007-11-17. 
5. ^ Barbalet, Tom. "Graphics in the Noble Ape Simulation". http://www.nobleape.com/docs/sim_graph.html. Retrieved 2007-11-17. 
6. ^ Barbalet, Tom. "Introduction to ApeScript". http://www.nobleape.com/man/apescript_intro.html. Retrieved 2007-11-17. 
7. ^ Barbalet, Tom. "Ape Reality". http://www.nobleape.com/reality/. Retrieved 2007-11-17. 
8. ^ Walch, Rob. "Podcast411 Interview with Tom Barbalet of Ape Reality". http://podcast411.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=1352. Retrieved 2007-11-17. 

External links

Official Links

• Noble Ape Site
• Noble Ape Simulation Page
• Ape Reality Page
• ApeScript Definition

Additional Links

• Tom Barbalet's Page
• Optimizing with Shark (Apple on Noble Ape)
• Tom Barbalet interviewed on BBC Radio 4's Material World, March 2003