  Evolvability is the capacity to evolve. This paper introduces a simple
computational model of evolvability and demonstrates that, under certain
conditions, evolvability can increase indefinitely, even when there is no
direct selection for evolvability. The model shows that increasing evolvability
implies an accelerating evolutionary pace. It is suggested that the conditions
for indefinitely increasing evolvability are satisfied in biological and
cultural evolution. We claim that increasing evolvability is a large-scale
trend in evolution. This hypothesis leads to testable predictions about
biological and cultural evolution.
