From newshub.ccs.yorku.ca!torn!cs.utexas.edu!qt.cs.utexas.edu!yale.edu!spool.mu.edu!umn.edu!csus.edu!netcom.com!lamorte Mon Nov  9 09:36:30 EST 1992
Article 7486 of comp.ai.philosophy:
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>From: lamorte@netcom.com (R. Scott LaMorte)
Subject: Artificial Life Processing Power
Message-ID: <1992Nov2.080921.9421@netcom.com>
Keywords: AL Human Life
Organization: Netcom - Online Communication Services  (408 241-9760 guest) 
Date: Mon, 2 Nov 1992 08:09:21 GMT
Lines: 24


I'm doing some research for a story I'm writing on Artificial Life,
and this seems like the best place to get a little info.

It is my understanding that the level of complexity of existing AL is
several factors simpler than even the simplest amoeba. And although
I'm not sure what the relationship is between the complexity of a
amoeba and a human is, I'm sure it's astronomical.

So here's my main drift: how much processing power would it take to
simulate a human being down to the cellular level? And how long until
we have a computer powerful enough to process this info in real time?
Are we talking 50 years? 500 years? What?

Perhaps another approach is this: how much simplification can we get
away with, and still "grow" and simulated human from a simulated
zygote?

What I am assuming here (and this is open to debate) is that a
sufficiently detailed simulated (physical) brain, in a simulated body,
raised in a simulated environment, will develop intelligence without
the need for top-down programming.

-Scott


