Last but not least is..
(3) Computer Simulation
From Darwin 1857 to about 1990 it was not possible to do really big model simulation and the only method was complex algebra and later calculus to find analytic solutions (formula with general applicability). But many problems have no analytic solution.
In the 1990's massively parallel computers became available allowing for simulation of such things as the weather.. and the solution of very large structural problems.. (economics is apparently still out of reach :*()
Surely evolution... bunch of replicating things.. subject to occasional random change.. in an environment with a few enemies, a few different foods, a few ecological niches etc. let it run and see what survives.. a lot easier than the weather I would imagine. Checking the Wiki..(Evolutionary Algorithm)
"Techniques from evolutionary algorithms applied to the modeling of
biological evolution are generally limited to explorations of microevolutionary processes. The computer simulations Tierra and Avida attempt to model macroevolutionary dynamics." (complete with spelling error.. mutation.. hmm)
Hint.. "macroevolution" means create new information.. "attempt" means NO its not been done..
In 'Climbing Mount Improbable' Richard Dawkins promised this prediction would be fulfilled within ten years.. that was 1996. From my falsification I can confidently say it will never be done.. because macro-evolution implies a violation of the Second Law for any DNA coding protein type life on any Earth like planet.
The humble honey bee routinely does problems we need a supercomputer to solve?
A little humility is probably in order for us..
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