Scientific & Medical LinksTo assist our colleagues in navigating the Web and finding what they are looking for we would like to encourage members to submit URLs (links) that they have found useful. Together with the name of the site, a short review, a rank (1 - 5) and a list of keywords should be included.All submitted links are subject to review by Science Advisory Board staff. Members are asked to submit no more than five Website reviews per month so that the postings reflect the diversity of The Science Advisory Board. Links are organized alphabetically by category and accessible to all visitors. Multiple reviews are encouraged. Members submitting links and reviews will be rewarded through the ViewPoints system. Additional discussion of external links on The Science Advisory Board site may be conducted via the Discussion Forum. To submit a Website link and review click here. DarwinBots www.darwinbots.com Rating:  The increase in the performance of desktop computers has opened the way for professionals, students, and people interested in life simulations to create their own using some of the existing Artificial Life software available (Alife Soft), or even programming it themselves. Darwinbots (www.darwinbots.com) is an artificial life software that emulates life and evolution. It simulates “genes” that control the behavior of the individual (bot). For each gene there is a condition that triggers its activation (promoter), a body that dictates gene function (ORF), and an end marker (stop codon). However, there are no intermediate information carriers or effectors (RNA or proteins) and gene interactions are minimal. Individuals with similar DNA recognize each other as relatives (specie). Executing an encoded action demands energy and produces waste (metabolism). Individuals may die if their energy reserve is too low or the waste around them is too high. The way that each individual gets its energy and deals with its waste is the driving force of their evolution. Feeding is the most complex process and involves vision, movement, target recognition and attack. Each process may consist of one or more genes and activation consumes energy. Efficiency is essential to survival. The software itself could evolve in the hands of programmers towards a model of complex interactions amongst cells, tissues and organs. Normal and pathological physiology could be re-thought as inter-specific relationships. Could these bots go that far? Are we ready to follow them? Review by Ana Laura [ Back to Link Categories ] [ To Database Categories ] |
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