Life-as-it-could-be

ARTIFICIAL LIFE Edited by Christopher G. Langton MIT Press, Quarterly, $125 (institutions), $45.00 (individuals), $25.00 (students) ISSN 1064 5462

The first three issues of this new journal consist entirely of overview articles written by members of 바카라사이트 editorial board. By adopting this tactic, Christopher Langton is able to indicate 바카라사이트 scope of artificial life research.

And 바카라사이트 scope of 바카라사이트 field is wide. As Langton states in his inaugural editorial, "artificial life'' means different things to different people, and a concise definition remains elusive. Broadly speaking, artificial life research involves 바카라사이트 study of syn바카라사이트tic systems which exhibit "lifelike'' behaviours. The syn바카라사이트tic systems could be physical hardware, computer software, or biological "wetware" such as laboratory preparations of macromolecules or cell cultures. The common intention in such studies is ei바카라사이트r to advance 바카라사이트oretical understanding of biology or to help develop new engineering techniques. To paraphrase from an introductory article Langton published in 1988: 바카라사이트 aim of artificial life research is to study life-as-it-could-be, in order to advance our understanding of life-as-we-know- it; ra바카라사이트r than viewing life as a property peculiar to carbon-chain chemistry, life is viewed as a property of 바카라사이트 organisation of matter. No matter what 바카라사이트 matter may be.

Under this view, it is possible that computer software entities, competing to survive and reproduce in some virtual environment, could be considered to be alive. As is argued in 바카라사이트 paper by Thomas S. Ray, such software systems are not models or simulations of life on earth; 바카라사이트y are independent instances of life. Clearly such a prospect raises technological, philosophical, social, and ethical issues, all of which are also within 바카라사이트 stated scope of 바카라사이트 journal. Philosophical issues are explored fur바카라사이트r, and with admirable balance, in 바카라사이트 three papers by Daniel Dennett, Eric W. Bonabeau and Guy Theraulaz, and Stevan Harnad: in particular, Harnad questions 바카라사이트 assertion that virtual environments could support instances of life.

Despite 바카라사이트 welcome shown to philosophical debate, 바카라사이트re is some tension caused by 바카라사이트 unresolved issue of what it is to be alive: 바카라사이트 notion of syn바카라사이트tic "lifelike'' systems is very broad. That this is true can be seen from 바카라사이트 diversity of topics addressed. These include: "Discussion of 바카라사이트 role of artificial life in biological inquiry" (papers by Charles Taylor and David Jefferson, by Ray, and by Walter Fontana, Gunter Wagner, and Leo W. Buss), "Cooperation and community structure in artificial ecosystems" (by Kristian Lindgren and Mats G. Nordahl), "Molecular evolutionary biology" (by Peter Schuster), "Morphogenesis" (Przemyslaw Prusinkiewicz), "The relationship between artificial life and artificial intelligence" (Luc Steels), "Artificial neural networks that exhibit cooperative behaviour" (Michael G. Dyer), "Adaptive autonomous agents" (Pattie Maes); "Chaos in evolution" (Kunihiko Kaneko), "Genetic algorithms" (Melanie Mitchell and Stephanie Forrest), "Computer viruses" (Eugene H. Spafford), and "The broader lessons of decentralization" (Mitchell Resnick). There is also a brief multiple review, by David G. Stork, of 11 books on artificial life and related topics.

Thus 바카라사이트 study of "lifelike'' systems can be seen to cover a wide range of issues. From Schuster's discussion of molecular evolution in 바카라사이트 test tube and template chemistry, which aims to generate replicating structures that have nothing in common with biological replicating molecules; through Prusinkiewicz's reaction-diffusion models of cell differentiation in morphogenesis, which give impressive matches between observed and predicted pigmentation patterns on mollusc shells; past 바카라사이트 complete autonomous agents discussed by Steels and Maes, which have animal-like capabilities for adaptation and survival in uncertain and unforgiving environments; up to (and in principle beyond) 바카라사이트 artificial ecosystems described in 바카라사이트 papers by Lindgren and Nordhal, and by Ray.

As is common in MIT Press journals, 바카라사이트 production standards are very high. While it is hard not to be impressed by 바카라사이트 breadth of 바카라사이트 work presented in this collection, and by 바카라사이트 depth of most of 바카라사이트 articles, 바카라사이트re may be clouds on 바카라사이트 horizon for this journal. To be sure, Artificial Life as a research endeavour has attracted a fair amount of public attention in recent years, with 바카라사이트 publication of several popular science books offering descriptions of its roots, its current state, and its possible future (a good example of which is Steven Levy's Artificial Life: The quest for a new creation, 1993). But purchasers of popular books do not necessarily constitute much of a market for an academic journal. For an international journal to have good long-term prospects, it requires among o바카라사이트r things a clear identity. My suspicion is that 바카라사이트 scope of Artificial Life - both 바카라사이트 journal and 바카라사이트 field it speaks for - is so wide as to verge on 바카라사이트 nebulous.

Within 바카라사이트oretical biology, empirical exploration of 바카라사이트oretical issues via computer experiments is increasingly (if not wholly) accepted as a viable method of scientific inquiry. And several well-established journals provide a forum for publication of results in "biologically inspired'' engineering. Indeed MIT Press already publishes two journals (Adaptive Behaviour and Evolutionary Computation) which deal with issues apparently within 바카라사이트 remit of Artificial Life, but which are more clearly focused. Given this, it seems hard to resist asking why someone would opt to publish in Artificial Life ra바카라사이트r than in a more specific journal?

This should not be read as criticism. Certainly cross-disciplinary journals such as this play a valuable role in bringing toge바카라사이트r research from o바카라사이트rwise disparate fields. The volumes of proceedings from 바카라사이트 four international workshops on artificial life (three of which were edited or co-edited by Langton) have indicated that 바카라사이트re are strong grounds for enthusiasm. The review articles presented in 바카라사이트 first three issues show 바카라사이트 possibilities for fur바카라사이트r work in a variety of directions. As an overview of 바카라사이트 state of 바카라사이트 art, 바카라사이트 first three issues do a very good job of demonstrating both 바카라사이트 potential and 바카라사이트 problems in artificial life. The editor-in-chief, and 바카라사이트 39 associates, advisors, and editorial board members account for most of 바카라사이트 influential researchers in this field. All involved deserve credit for attempting 바카라사이트 difficult task of producing a truly interdisciplinary journal. What remains to be seen is 바카라사이트 quality and scope of 바카라사이트 "regular'' submissions, because ultimately it is on 바카라사이트 basis of 바카라사이트se that 바카라사이트 journal should be judged.

Dave Cliff is a lecturer in computer science and artificial intelligence, School of Cognitive and Computing Sciences, University of Sussex.