What sort of research has been done in this area as of late? I'm coming across some very early work (nothing later than in the 80's) and I was just wondering how much has been done/is being done in the present and where exactly to look. Thanks and cheers. [edited by - kordova on November 28, 2003 4:32:49 PM]

you could use WinExec() and execute dos file copying commands that way to propagate a program within itself.

or you could create a scripting langauge and make a program that can run script files and write/modify them.that way you have it loading data it can use on demand and making new logic and such.
or you could create something like the java virtual machine for what ever script /langauge you want and then have it do the whole self scripting bit but i would end up as a .java file or .cpp or what ever and then the VM would run the byte code and compile it to bit code then execute. i dont know thats just my opinion, im not even sure this is what you mean.

if you talk about Von Neumann Machines (also known as Van Neumann Machines), then there is not much progress, space organizations like nasa are interested in this field, but they also need small sized machines and this sort cant be build with todays technics, so nothing new there (there could be some more going around, but noone would tell the public about AP-eating-self-reproducing-machines...)


T2k

quote: Original post by Anonymous Poster
or you could create a scripting langauge and make a program that can run script files and write/modify them.that way you have it loading data it can use on demand and making new logic and such.
or you could create something like the java virtual machine for what ever script /langauge you want and then have it do the whole self scripting bit but i would end up as a .java file or .cpp or what ever and then the VM would run the byte code and compile it to bit code then execute. i dont know thats just my opinion, im not even sure this is what you mean.

That''s one way I''ve been thinking about the issue. I just wasn''t sure what other people have or have not done along these lines.

quote: Original post by T2k
if you talk about Von Neumann Machines (also known as Van Neumann Machines), then there is not much progress, space organizations like nasa are interested in this field, but they also need small sized machines and this sort cant be build with todays technics, so nothing new there (there could be some more going around, but noone would tell the public about AP-eating-self-reproducing-machines...)

Yes, he was the one and I''ve found myself utterly intrigued by the concept. I''m not very educated in terms of engineering so I thought I''d approach it from the more theory-based program side as was also mentioned. I''ve come across the entire concept before but only within the past few days after reencountering it has it wedged itself in my fancy. I suppose I''ll continue with the books at this point and see what else is revealed. Cheers.

isn''t virus and worm doing that??
i bet there is lot of litterature about this,
i''m not sure but i have heard about self reproducing, self modifying program made with lisp in the ai field....

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
be good
be evil
but do it WELL
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

quote: Original post by Anonymous Poster
or you could create a scripting langauge and make a program that can run script files and write/modify them.that way you have it loading data it can use on demand and making new logic and such.
or you could create something like the java virtual machine for what ever script /langauge you want and then have it do the whole self scripting bit but i would end up as a .java file or .cpp or what ever and then the VM would run the byte code and compile it to bit code then execute. i dont know thats just my opinion, im not even sure this is what you mean.

Or you could just use Lisp. In Lisp, code is represented as lists, and Lisp is designed to manipulate lists (LISt Processing language), so it is a natural choice for any program that wishes to change its logic and internal workings at runtime. I can't remeber any of the names of the well-known AI programs that have used such ability to great effect(for awesome things like summarizing stories, or answering questions about a news article, to exploring a ruleset and exploiting holes in them), but bishop_pass knows of a great deal of them. I've been looking for one of his posts about them but haven't had much success in finding one.

[edited by - extrarius on November 29, 2003 8:37:26 AM]

quote: Original post by Neoshaman
isn''t virus and worm doing that??
i bet there is lot of litterature about this,

early virii were indeed rewriting parts of themselves to fool ant-virus programs (i *think* they just changed parts which wouldnt get executed)

but i remember reading a few days ago on slashdot about a really self modifying (evolving if i got that right) virus created in a lab.

quote: Original post by Extrarius
Or you could just use Lisp. In Lisp, code is represented as lists, and Lisp is designed to manipulate lists (LISt Processing language), so it is a natural choice for any program that wishes to change its logic and internal workings at runtime. I can''t remeber any of the names of the well-known AI programs that have used such ability to great effect(for awesome things like summarizing stories, or answering questions about a news article, to exploring a ruleset and exploiting holes in them), but bishop_pass knows of a great deal of them. I''ve been looking for one of his posts about them but haven''t had much success in finding one.

I have been learning lisp over the past few months on my limited free time and I do see the potential there. I''d also be quite interested to learn more of these programs. Cheers.

I''ve found some of the links/names bishop_pass has posted in the past:

SHRDLU
CYC
SWALE
AM
CD
John McCarthy
Karl Sims

And the names of related things that you might want to search on:
SAM, PAM, POLITICS, MARGIE, Shakey the robot, AARON, EURISKO, DENDRAL, MYCIN