Synthetic life
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Synthetic life and artificial life (not to be confused with the field of Artificial Life) are terms used to refer to manufactured, synthesized or created life forms. Currently such life is not accepted to exist, and the potential for its existence is controversial. Much of the controversy stems from the fact that most current definitions for life are limited to cellular life, eliminating potential substrates from ever hosting life by definition.
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[edit] Classes
[edit] Synthetic biochemical life
The goal of wet alife and synthetic biology, the first artificial biochemical life would look and act like over simplified bacteria. Researchers involved feel that the creation of true synthetic biochemical life is very close, relatively cheap, and will be easier than getting a man on the Moon was.[1]
[edit] Self replicating machines
Hypothetical mechanical entities such as nanobots or self-replicating machine might be considered alive, even though they might not necessarily be cellular.
[edit] Bodiless artificial intelligence
One of the goals of Artificial Intelligence research is to create an AI that could pass for a person in the Turing test, perhaps being sapient or even conscious. Such an AI does not necessarily need a physical manifestation, which raises numerous issues with whether or not it could be considered alive.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ NOVA: Artificial life. Retrieved on 2007-01-19.
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