No Silver Bullet

Biological Parallel

Brooks argued no single innovation could provide order-of-magnitude improvement in software. Biology agrees: no single adaptation solves all problems. Mammals didn't dominate through one trait—it's the package (endothermy, lactation, neocortex, parental care). The fallacy of the silver bullet: seeking unicausal solutions to multicausal challenges. Cancer isn't solved by one drug because it's hundreds of diseases. Climate adaptation isn't one trait but coordinated suites. Complexity requires systemic solutions, not magic bullets. Evolution is architecture, not alchemy.