Parenting Beyond Belief This activity is a simple version of a life-simulation game that scien- tists use to model how evolution works. The game will show how certain features can spread throughout a population over several generations. In this game, the objects all represent male members of the same species--a plain-looking kind of bird we'll call the Dum-Dum Bird. The nickels are the standard form of the species--bland and unremarkable, having evolved to avoid predators by blending into the background. But a new variation in the Dum-Dum Bird population has arisen--a few of the males now have some bright red feathers. This new variation is rep- resented by the pennies. The female Dum-Dum Birds are attracted to the males with red feathers. But the color also draws the attention of the foxes--the preda- tors that like to eat Dum-Dum Birds whenever they can. The rules At the start, 80 percent of the birds are plain (nickels), and 20 percent