Spore and Evolution (broadcast Friday, September 12th, 2008)

Courtesy Electronic Arts

Computer gamers around the world have been eagerly exploring the new game Spore, recently released by the team that created other hits including The Sims. In the new game, players watch life develop and evolve -- from single-celled organisms to starfaring civilizations. In this segment, we'll talk about Spore and its model of the evolutionary process. How close is the game to the way evolution really works -- and what were its designers' goals in creating Spore? We'll be talking with Will Wright, the game's creator, and an evolutionary biologist who has played the game.