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Over the past few weeks, we have discussed how biological evolution is an irreversible process.  Once an organism has changed, it cannot change back (or can it?  Is this theoretically possible?).  Is this the case for other types of evolution as well, such as the evolution of stories and of language?  And what qualifies as evolution of stories and language? How is it that we came to extend this term to other aspects of our lives?

 There are many changes a word can undergo.  Which of these changes, if any, truly count as "evolution" of words?  Would we say that the Old English words "thee" and "thy" have evolved into the modern words "you" and "your?"  Or has the french expression "deja-vu" evoloved into a common American expression? (or is this just adaptation?) 

 Can old words ever become "extinct," especially since they can always be brought back to life through literature?  What if all of a sudden the new trend in literature became the usage of Old English?  Would this make a permanent impact on our culture, so that people once again began to speak this way?

Also, when would we say that a story has evolved?  There are many changes stories can undergo as well.  Stories can swtich literary formats (for example, the Biblical story of Adam and Eve, written in prose, was retold by Milton in his poem, Paradise Lost.)  Stories can also switch mediums (such as film adaptations of novels, plays...)  Folklore "evolves" over time.....and I just realized that it feels the most natural for me to say that a story has evolved when time is a factor...

Is time the key factor that links all types of evolution together?  And the fact that time itself is irreversible, and therefore any changes that have occurred over time are somehow irreversible?  What if, though, through cultural transmission, certain trends in language and stories return to their original forms?  Is there any direct parallel between biological evolution and the evolution of other things?  Finally, what is it about our overall experience that makes us feel this parallel is so relevant?