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The problem with that analogy IMO is that machines can be comprehended by humans, whereas even the most primitive forms of life are more sophisticated than anyt
by Synaesthesia 9y ago
The problem with that analogy IMO is that machines can be comprehended by humans, whereas even the most primitive forms of life are more sophisticated than anything human created.
Reproduction is an astonishing feat in itself - if only we could create a machine which could reproduce, but it's not so simple!
- cobbzilla 9y agoReproduction is easy, and was done in software, on the Internet, in 1988 [1]. There is a lot more to life than mere replication, for example homeostasis. The Morris Worm did not make any efforts to maintain homeostasis, and thus became extinct relatively quickly. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morris_worm https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morris_worm
- Synaesthesia 9y agoA physical man made object that can reproduce itself though - that is an incredible challenge.
- PeterisP 9y agoIf we define reproduction as equivalent to how viruses reproduce (i.e. by repurposing machinery of cells to reproduce themselves), then we have created such machines; "built from scratch" human-made viruses exist consisting of synthetic DNA/RNA.