From: Eugene Leitl (eugene.leitl@lrz.uni-muenchen.de)
Date: Fri Sep 29 2000 - 04:52:46 MDT
J. R. Molloy writes:
> If they're "postbiological" then they can't replicate. Replication is a
> biological function.
Arrrr! Postbiological, as not using self-assembled heavily solvated
biopolymers and clusters thereof for self-replication and information
processing.
There's a reason why artificial life is called artificial. Not
biological. Using the same principles, but a different substrate to
apply these principles on.
> Darwinian evolution becomes astonishingly complex when digitized.
The premises of Darwinian evolution are indeed astonishingly simple
(imperfect replication in face of limited resources, "imperfect" and
"limited resources" being even arguably derivable from "replication"
given constraints of the physical world) regardless of operational
substrate, but the consequences are anything but that.
If that thing's not open-ended I don't know what is.
> "Outside of the killings, Washington has one of the lowest crime
> rates in the country."
> > > > -- Mayor Marion Barry, Washington, D.C.
Sure, and inside of the dog it's too dark to read.
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