Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!mcsun!hp4nl!svin02!wsintt01!wsinpim From: wsinpim@wsintt01.info.win.tue.nl (Pim Lemmens) Newsgroups: comp.ai.philosophy Subject: Re: computer life? Keywords: Survival, instincts Message-ID: <1791@svin02.info.win.tue.nl> Date: 26 Feb 91 13:26:32 GMT References: <8617@castle.ed.ac.uk> <1991Feb22.220125.20891@msuinfo.cl.msu.edu> Sender: news@svin02.info.win.tue.nl Reply-To: wsinpim@info.win.tue.nl Organization: Eindhoven University of Technology, The Netherlands Lines: 12 In my opinion, a very important aspect has been omitted from the ongoing discussion so far: The drive to survive. If we (or any other creature) would not have an instinct for survival or an other mechanism to protect our life, we would not be there. And if that instinct would not have been supported by the means to detect threats to our life and to repel them, it would be useless. Computers so far lack both the drive to sustain their own existence and the means to do so. They are easily maltreated and demolished and their software is easily removed. Pim Lemmens.