An interactive JavaScript simulation of James Lovelock's Daisyworld model, demonstrating the principles of planetary self-regulation.
Daisyworld is a theoretical model developed by James Lovelock to illustrate the Gaia hypothesis of planetary self-regulation. The model demonstrates how life (represented by white and black daisies) can regulate planetary conditions (temperature) through feedback mechanisms, even as external conditions (solar luminosity) change.
Educational Background: This simulation was originally investigated as part of a high school project many years ago, exploring complex systems and planetary feedback mechanisms. The current implementation represents an enhanced, interactive version of that earlier educational investigation.
- Interactive simulation of daisy population dynamics
- Real-time visualization of planet surface
- Time series graphs of temperature and population changes
- Adjustable parameters including solar luminosity, death rates, and initial conditions
- Presets for exploring different scenarios
The simulation models:
- Black daisies (absorb heat, warming their local environment)
- White daisies (reflect heat, cooling their local environment)
- Temperature-dependent growth rates for both daisy types
- Planetary temperature based on solar luminosity and surface albedo
- Competition for available space on the planet surface
The visualization shows how these elements interact in a self-regulating system that can maintain hospitable conditions across a range of solar luminosities.
This phase implements the interactive user interface for the Daisyworld simulation, allowing users to control and observe the simulation's behavior in real-time.
- Start/Pause: Begin or temporarily stop the simulation
- Reset: Reset the simulation to the current parameter values
- Step: Run a single time step of the simulation
- Simulation Speed: Control how quickly the simulation runs (0.1-10)
- Solar Luminosity: Adjust the sun's energy output (0.6-1.6)
- White Daisy Coverage: Set the initial percentage of white daisies (0-50%)
- Black Daisy Coverage: Set the initial percentage of black daisies (0-50%)
- Death Rate: Control the daisy death rate (10-50%)
- Stable State: A balanced ecosystem with stable temperatures
- Increasing Luminosity: Start with low luminosity that automatically increases over time
- White Dominant: An environment that favors white daisies
- Black Dominant: An environment that favors black daisies
- Planet View: Visual representation of the planet's surface composition
- Temperature Graph: Time series of global temperature
- Population Graph: Time series showing the percentage of each surface type
- Clone the repository
- Navigate to the project directory
- Install dependencies:
npm install
- Run the development server:
npm start
- Build for production:
npm run build
This project is built using:
- JavaScript for the simulation engine
- HTML Canvas for visualization
- Chart.js for time series graphs
- Webpack for bundling
This project is currently under development. See the specification document for implementation details and roadmap.
MIT