This illustration depicts the “soft” approach to modeling adaptation of artificial life to different environments. The illustration begins with the scientists working on the DNA of the ancestor organism, emphasizing the idea that software-based artificial life relies on man-made representations approximating the biological genetic code. The grid emanating from this ancestor organism shows the piecewise, incremental nature of evolution.  This endless grid of organisms uses different colors and gradients to show how adaptation is tied to environmental conditions.  The background of pixelized images is inspired by the Avida-ED simulation. This motif of colorful pixels reflects a common visualization indicative of “soft” artificial life.