Hey David, thanks for the excellent feedback. I see exactly what you’re saying in the sense that using analogies like this can be misleading. Overall, my understanding is that biological/genetic underpinnings in genetic algorithms go little beyond their inspiration. Despite this, I decided it was best to try to use some of these analogies in the hopes that they may be useful in understanding GAs a little better.
To your point, I see exactly how the analogy I used in that circumstance is incorrect, and how that kind of misleading analogy can be harmful. While I won’t be able to fix it before the next beta ships, I will absolutely address it before the final version.
I appreciate your feedback. If you come across any misleading analogies/inconsistencies, feel free to message me or post in here! Thank you for taking the time to make the book better!