Newsgroups: comp.ai.alife
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From: aa139@FreeNet.Carleton.CA (Mike Lynch)
Subject: Seeking Advice for a Science Fair Project on Alife
Message-ID: <D43LJu.Jon@freenet.carleton.ca>
Sender: aa139@freenet3.carleton.ca (Mike Lynch)
Reply-To: aa139@FreeNet.Carleton.CA (Mike Lynch)
Organization: The National Capital FreeNet
Date: Thu, 16 Feb 1995 14:57:30 GMT
Lines: 47

My son is a Grade 7 student.  He is doing a science fair project on alife.
The project will describe what is alife, why we study alife, and possible
uses.  The project will then focus on cellular automata, with some
experiments using Conway's game of life.

We have referenced Chris Langdon's book containing proceedings from the
first conference on alife held in 1988, along with some other reference
materials.  We have several questions for participants of this news group
which could help verify some of his research findings, and fill some gaps.
Any advice or help would be greatly appreciated with the following.

1.  What is the difference between alife and ai?  He has read that
ai generates intelligent solutions rather than intelligent behaviour.
Ai does not model intelliigent behaviour, rather alife models lifelife
behaviour.  Can ai ever model intelligent behaviour in the foreseeable future?

2.  What is a simple definition (if there is one) of cellular automata? 
He has read that cellular automata are akin to biological cells which
individually have function but only as a collection produce emergent
behaviourial dynamics.  

3. If one had the programming knowledge base, how does one develop an
alife system?  Do models have to be created on a computer?

4. He has constructed a programmable LEGO arm (actually a kit).  Could one
view the arm conceptually as a cellular automaton, that is, if one could
build a larger machine with many such LEGO machines, as a collection would
they begin to take on charateristics of an alife machine.  For example,
NASA's study on sending self reproducing mining factories to other planets.

5. Regarding Conway's Game of Life.  My son is trying out different
configurations to try out (and of course will demenostrate the glider,
etc.) Are there some other useful experiments that he might try?

6.  Are organizations (e.g. schools, companies, governments) examples of
alife.  If so, are individuals within these organizations cellular automatons?

I hope that my questions do not sound too naive.  Your assistance in this
matter would be appreciated.  Any other thoughts are suggestions would be
helpful as well.

Thanks in advance and cheers,

Michael Lynch

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