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From: cgl@beta.UUCP (C G Langton)
Newsgroups: sci.bio
Subject: Re: Artificial Life Workshop
Message-ID: <11183@beta.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 15-Oct-87 10:31:31 EDT
Article-I.D.: beta.11183
Posted: Thu Oct 15 10:31:31 1987
Date-Received: Sat, 17-Oct-87 07:22:52 EDT
References: <2811@sdsu.UUCP>
Organization: Los Alamos Natl Lab, Los Alamos, N.M.
Lines: 60
Keywords: Artificial Life, Dynamic systems, non-linear systems, cellular automata
Summary: Details of the Artificial Life Workshop.


   The Artificial Life workshop was sponsored jointly by the Center 
for Nonlinear Studies of the Los Alamos National Laboratory, the
Santa Fe Institute, and Apple Computer Inc. The workshop
concerned itself largely with attempts to synthesize or
simulate living systems. Approaches included computer models,
"wetware" experiments, experiments with other media (such as
clays), and purely theoretical endeavors. Questions of
technique, social and moral implications, criteria for
adequate models, and reviews of past work, were among the
topics discussed or presented. Contributors included
A.G. Cairns-Smith, Richard Dawkins, A.K. Dewdney, Eric Drexler,
John Holland, Stuart Kauffman, Richard Laing, Aristid Lindenmayer,
Hans Moravec, Howard Pattee, and many others. For a review of
the workshop that captures much of its spirit, see the Science 
section of the Sept. 29 New York Times. I will post my own summary of 
the workshop to relevant news groups shortly.

   The proceedings will be published by Addison-Wesley as Volume-4 of
the Santa Fe Institute's series: "Studies in Complexity."
We expect that the proceedings will come out in the Spring of 1988. 
If you would like to reserve a copy of the proceedings, you should 
send your name and address to:

  USMAIL:  Chris Langton
           Center for Nonlinear Studies
           MS B258
           Los Alamos National Laboratory
           Los Alamos, NM 87545

  EMAIL:   cgl@lanl.gov   -or-   cgl@lanl.arpa (old style address)

  PHONE:   (505) 667-1444 (Ask for Marian Martinez)

   The proceedings will contain an annotated bibliography of work in 
the field. Suggestions for works to be included would be greatly
appreciated - especially if accompanied by a short (4-5 line) 
review of each work.

   Perhaps the most important result of the workshop was the realization
that this is, and has been for some time, an ongoing and vital area of
research within many different disciplines. The problem has been
that researchers within different disciplines have been working
largely in isolation from one-another. This isolation notwithstanding, 
there was a surprising amount of agreement on the nature of the problems
and the criteria for adequate models of living systems. Several of the
computer demonstrations were met with spontaneous applause as very
believable, life-like dynamics emerged from collections of entities
obeying simple local rules. 

   Obviously, a public forum for the presentation of work in this area 
was long overdue. It is equally obvious that we just uncovered
the tip of the iceberg. Many issues, questions, and problems were raised
that could not be adequately addressed during the workshop. Therefore,
we are already planning for the second Artificial Life workshop. It will
probably be held in Santa Fe in the spring of 1989. If you would
like to be on the mailing list for further announcements, please
contact us via one of the paths listed above.

Chris Langton