From: Forrest Bishop (forrestb@ix.netcom.com)
Date: Sat Aug 30 1997 - 13:44:55 MDT
>>
>> In a message dated 8/29/97 8:17:17 AM, bostrom@mail.ndirect.co.uk
(Nicholas
>> Bostrom) wrote:
>
>> Nobody has presented a self-replicating Life system. All Conway did
was
>> produce a feasibility proof, so you know it *can* be done. Actually
>> designing such a system is still considered not yet possible.
>
>Really? I thought I've heard that the Universal Turing machine was
>actually designed, with streams of gliders serving as tape etc. But I
>may be wrong, in which case I'm glad you pointed it out. Do you have
>any references?
Can I appeal to someone to summarize this thread? I think there is
original work being done here, but I have been too busy to keep up with
it. I forwarded one of the messages to Rob Freitas, who expressed
interest, but he is extremly busy writing the *Nanosystems* of medicine
(31 chapters, two volumes).
Rob posted related essays, "Police Nanites", on sci.nanotech a few
months ago, which will be in a book at some point. Perhaps some of
the work accomplished here might be suitable for inclusion in that.
Forrest Bishop
Institute of Atomic-Scale Engineering
http://www.speakeasy.org/~forrestb
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