https://ambiguouserror.github.io/Daisyworld_Simulation/
This project is an interactive, visual experiment based on James Lovelock's Daisyworld model, created with Python and the Pygame library. It provides a clear, hands-on demonstration of the core concepts of the Gaia hypothesis; the idea that life can collectively and unintentionally self-regulate its environment to maintain habitable conditions.
Daisyworld is a hypothetical planet orbiting a star. The only life on this planet are two species of daisies:
- Black Daisies: Absorb sunlight, which warms their local surroundings and the planet as a whole.
- White Daisies: Reflect sunlight, which cools their local surroundings and the planet.
Both species have the same optimal temperature for growth (22.5°C) and cannot survive if it gets too hot or too cold. The simulation demonstrates how the competition between these two species creates a feedback loop that stabilizes the planet's temperature under different conditions.
- Interactive Settings: Before each run, modify key variables like daisy albedo, death rate, and solar luminosity to design your own experiments.
- Dynamic Solar Model: Simulate a star that warms over time, or set the "Luminosity Change" to zero for a constant sun.
- Live Graphing: A real-time chart displays the populations of both daisy species and the average planetary temperature.
- Dynamic End Scenarios: The simulation automatically detects the outcome of your experiment and provides a specific explanation, whether it's a heat death, a freeze death, a stable equilibrium, or a failure for life to start at all.
- Configurable Stability: Set how many turns of unchanging populations are needed before the simulation concludes that a stable state has been reached.
- Python 3.x
- Pygame library
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Install Python: If you don't have Python, download it from python.org.
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Install Pygame: Open your terminal or command prompt and run the following command:
pip install pygame
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Run the Simulation: Navigate to the project directory in your terminal and run the script:
python Daisyworld.py
(Note: The script name may vary depending on how you saved it).
- Mouse Clicks: Use the
+/-buttons on the settings screen to adjust variables. Click "Load Defaults" or "Start Simulation" to proceed. - R KEY: From the simulation or end screen, press 'R' to return to the settings screen and run a new experiment.
The settings screen allows you to explore the limits of the Gaian system. Try these experiments:
- Classic Daisyworld: Use the default settings. Watch as the daisies battle to regulate the temperature against a warming sun, eventually succumbing to a "heat death."
- A Stable World: Set the "Luminosity Change" to
0.0. The daisies will find an equilibrium and maintain a stable temperature. The simulation will end once the "Stability Turns" condition is met. - A Frozen Planet: Set the "Start Luminosity" to a very low value (e.g.,
0.6). Can the black daisies generate enough heat to survive, or will the planet enter a "freeze death"? - Inefficient Daisies: Lower the "Heating Effect" or make the albedos of the white and black daisies very similar. Can life still regulate the climate effectively?