Can Unrealistic Computer Models Illuminate Theoretical Biology?

These questions concern apparent fundamental properties of living systems|properties which, furthermore, seem to be shared by many other complex adaptive systems, such as the global economy. It is especially hard to address these questions, largely because they concern the global emergent behavior of overwhelmingly complex systems. One way to pursue answers is with a certain sort of unrealistic computational model. Although this may sound paradoxical, I shall argue that, properly understood, it makes perfect sense.