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The ECAL 2007 Workshop on Machine Epigenesis

September 10, 2007 @ Lisbon, Portugal

Machine Epigenesis 2007

Motivation and Topics

 

Creating a machine that exhibits life-like behavior has been the very core motivation of Artificial Life since its onset.  Self-replication has remained the prime study since von Neumann, however, biological systems show a far wider range of generative behavior, including differentiation and morphogenesis of multicellular structures from a single zygote, and adaptive de-differentiation and regeneration of parts in case of system failure.  These characters remain largely missing in manmade, engineered systems, as well indicated by the late John Maynard-Smith in his writing:

 

"One reason why we find it so hard to understand the development of form may be that we do not make machines that develop: often we understand biological phenomena only when we have invented machines with similar properties... [and] we do not make 'embryo' machines ..."

- John Maynard-Smith, The Problems of Biology (1986)

 

The Workshop on Machine Epigenesis aims to address this issue — the means, methods and models of machine epigenesis.  It is expected to establish a field of research on any constructional and epigenetic processes of machines and to initiate a collective effort of formalization of models of such epigenetic machines.  Here a "machine" is broadly construed to include abstract automata, electro-mechanical devices, molecular structures, and any other physical or informational instantiation. Topics to be covered in the workshop include (but are not limited to):

 

● Formal theories and abstract models of machine epigenesis

● Theories of universal and non-universal constructors

● Physical implementation of epigenetic machines

● Self-replicating and self-repairing machines

● Self-organization in modular and swarm robots

● Biological analogs relevant to the realization of machine epigenesis

● Philosophical and ethical issues in creating epigenetic machines

● Extending the mechanist model of living systems - philosophy

*** UPDATE ***

 

Workshop cancelled

 

 

We plan to re-organize the Workshop later in a different venue.

 

Please contact chairs if you are interested in our future event.