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From: joi@ozemail.com.au (Jonathon Alexander)
Subject: Anti-life
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Date: Wed, 21 Sep 1994 13:41:07 GMT
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The odd worry has crossed my mind regarding uncontrolled self-reproducing 
machines. Generally the universe and life itself seems to have a tendency 
towards increasing organisation and complexity. However we could create a 
local anomalous situation by evolving or designing some extremely simple 
self-reproducing machine that was inimical to normal life, for instance 
by using very efficiently using all resources of a given type. This could be 
of biological, biochemical, physical, electronic or even ideological (are 
ideas a form of life which reproduces in the fertile fields of our minds?)

Anyway, all you a-lifers, please be careful! We already have computer 
viruses. Let's maintain a little paranoia as we work, eh, and try to 
foresee any nasties before they become REALLY NASTY!

Come to think of it, the INTERNET is evolving very rapidly. Who knows 
where it will stop?

It bothers me that we haven't yet found any traces of 
intelligence on other stars. Stars and planets form from disks 
of gravitationally acreted gas (due to Positive Feedback-PF) 
rotating and flattened due to conservation of angular momentum.
Planets should form from rings in the disk. Stars without planets should be 
rare. Mixtures of chemicals will often contain self-catalysing loops. (PF)
Life should be common. Intelligence being a great survival tool should
evolve. (PF) Where is it? 

Lets be careful.

Regards, John Alexander

PS Anyone interested in a Strategy for Humanity? - ie Goals and 
objectives, leading to emergence of cooperative plannning and action?
