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From: kludge@grissom.larc.nasa.gov ( Scott Dorsey)
Newsgroups: comp.ai.philosophy
Subject: Re: computer life?
Message-ID: <1991Feb19.163133.8664@news.larc.nasa.gov>
Date: 19 Feb 91 16:31:33 GMT
References: <1991Feb14.135220.7790@vax1.tcd.ie> <1991Feb19.130832.9715@shiva.sci.com>
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Reply-To: kludge@grissom.larc.nasa.gov ( Scott Dorsey)
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In article <1991Feb19.130832.9715@shiva.sci.com> joe@shiva.sci.com (0000-Admin(0000)) writes:
>In article <1991Feb14.135220.7790@vax1.tcd.ie> bjkinane@vax1.tcd.ie writes:
>>I am preparing a presentation on the subject of whether computers can be
>>considered as an emerging life-form....... 
>
>First off, what constitutes a 'life-form'? Taking into consideration that
>the 'species' of computers is varied, one might stretch the point
>and proclaim computers as a species evolving along the silicon line 
>as opposed to the carbon line.

Here is a quick and dirty definition, to begin discussion:

1. Life-forms reproduce
   - while computers are used to construct other computers, they still require
     human assistance.  Viruses also cannot reproduce without assistance of
     other organisms.

2. Life-forms metabolize
   - that is, they concentrate energy

I think these are the two fundamental ones.  All of the other attributes of
living systems I can think of (adaptation, high degree of organization, etc.)
can be traced down to these two.
--scott