von Neumann, Theory of self-reproducing automata (1966) p.72 "Role of High Complication": > An automaton can not be separated from the milieu to which it respo

von Neumann, Theory of self-reproducing automata (1966) p.72 "Role of High Complication": > An automaton can not be separated from the milieu to which it responds. > The characteristics of a human for survival are well defined on the surface of the earth in its present state, though for most types of humans you must actually specialize the situation a little further than this. But it is meaningless to argue how the human would survive on the bottom of the ocean or in a temperature of 1000 degrees centigrade. Similarly, in discussing a computing machine it is meaningless to ask how fast or how slow it is, unless you specify what type of problems will be given to it.