Newsgroups: comp.ai.alife
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From: bpvanstr@yoho.uwaterloo.ca (Brian Van Straalen)
Subject: Re: The Meaning of Life
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References: <34qm2c$ei2@scratchy.reed.edu> <8iR9ig_00WB3IuwrUV@andrew.cmu.edu> <1994Sep13.194058.24001@ictv.com> <plugge.122.2E76A9C5@cs.rulimburg.nl>
Date: Wed, 14 Sep 1994 17:30:23 GMT
Lines: 34

In article <plugge.122.2E76A9C5@cs.rulimburg.nl>,
Leo Plugge <plugge@cs.rulimburg.nl> wrote:
>In article <1994Sep13.194058.24001@ictv.com> tmh@ictv.com (Todd Hoff) writes:
>
>>In article <8iR9ig_00WB3IuwrUV@andrew.cmu.edu>,
>>Alan S. Ferrency <af1x+@andrew.cmu.edu> wrote:
>>>Another point made is, do we really need to determine whether these
>>>alife systeems are "alive" or not? <snip snip>

>>that would protect researchers in other domains even if a definition
>>is not all that useful for researchers.
>
>Now here's a reason to debate the issue. Although, I think, it is not an issue 
>that should be discussed in comp.ai[.alife | .philosophy]
>It is a typical ethical problem, just like abortion. (please no debate on 
>abortion!)
>
>-Leo-


       actually, comp.ai.philosophy would probably be the best place
to take this argument.  All this philosophy stuff is becoming noise in
this group.  I say we should declare a one week moratorium on `defining
anything to do with (A)Life ' 

    PLease don't follow up this post.

    Think of something to contribute, or be quiet.  This newsgroup is running
a grave risk of of turning ALife research into a pseudo-philoso-science.
I intend to follow this advice myself.

Thank you.

Brian
