[Tyler]

Scientists Seek the Key to Artificial Life
     

A Telegraph.co.uk article, Can
we make software that comes to life? covers the debate among
biologists, computer scientists, physicists, mathematicians,
philosophers and social scientists who have gathered in Winchester
to discuss artificial life. After more than a decade of work,
researchers think they've hit a barrier with what can be done with
evolution within a software environment. The scientists think the
problem is the lack the self-organizing principles in software that are
part of the physical and chemical world where biological evolution
occurs. The article
notes that this self organization can be seen in something as simple as
a saucer of oil that's heated. What's needed is a better understanding how
self organization integrates with natural selection. The article also
covers other aspects of artificial life research including both "wet"
ALife (artificial biological life) and "in silico" ALife (software based
life).
   

http://robots.net/article/2610.html