Shai Ophir.Artificial Societies: The Evolution of Cooperation. RM 9(4):87-93 "Consider the usefulness of an ""Artificial Societies"" (building on Chris Langton's [1993] ""Artificial Life"" research discipline) approach to the social sciences that entails computer simulations of social environments. Societies are modeled using genetic algorithms that run simulations through thousands and millions of generations. Recent studies have demonstrated that such social values as altruism, cooperation, and sharing of resources can be modeled using this method. Other researchers have created cooperative robots with nervous systems that act like biological computers. These studies have shown that it is possible to model forms of human cooperation using computer simulations. More recent research has also showed promise in modeling more complex forms of social interaction. The value of this approach for progressive scholars lies in its ability to answer the question of whether, under any circumstances, it is possible to simulate a completely egalitarian socialist society. 1 Table, 17 References. D. M. Ryfe"