Arms Race: Difference between revisions
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The term '''arms race''' in its original usage describes a competition between two or more parties for military supremacy. Each party competes in a mutual [[Adaptation|adaptation]] of forces to produce larger numbers of weapons, greater armies, or superior military technology in a technological escalation. | The term '''arms race''' in its original usage describes a competition between two or more parties for military supremacy. Each party competes in a mutual [[Adaptation|adaptation]] of forces to produce larger numbers of weapons, greater armies, or superior military technology in a technological escalation. | ||
In general "arms race" is used to describe any competition where there is no absolute goal except the goal of staying ahead of the competitor. An evolutionary arms race is a system where two populations are evolving in order to continuously outdo members of the other population. For example, a predator/prey arms-race involves predators evolving more effective means to catch prey while their prey evolves more effective means of evasion. This is related to the Red Queen effect, where two populations are [[Co-evolution|co-evolving]] to overcome one another but are failing to make absolute progress. | |||
Revision as of 16:19, 14 November 2008
The term arms race in its original usage describes a competition between two or more parties for military supremacy. Each party competes in a mutual adaptation of forces to produce larger numbers of weapons, greater armies, or superior military technology in a technological escalation.
In general "arms race" is used to describe any competition where there is no absolute goal except the goal of staying ahead of the competitor. An evolutionary arms race is a system where two populations are evolving in order to continuously outdo members of the other population. For example, a predator/prey arms-race involves predators evolving more effective means to catch prey while their prey evolves more effective means of evasion. This is related to the Red Queen effect, where two populations are co-evolving to overcome one another but are failing to make absolute progress.
