NMCS4ALL: Artificial Life (full version)

[@MrC0MPUT3R]

I kinda want to make something like this and put it on my raspberry pi as like an ant farm that just continuously runs on a TV.

[@RussellTeapot]

ha! nice idea

[@NuevoVR]

make sure you can set the speed to anything you like so it doesn't take a stupid amount of time to progress

[@chrisschlen]

My Project Eprobots is intended for that: codepen.io/setreset/pen/WYJNvx (please press "Seed energy", "Start" and "Fullscreen")

[@seditt5146]

I am currently trying to do something similar but the complexity has taken me some time. Not exactly Cellular Automaton but an artificial life using Neural network brains and genetic algorithm controlled spring physics between nodes in 3D place so that a create needs to learn how to literally walk, feed and breed... aka... it needs to simply learn not to die then learn anything else that allows them to thrive.

[@PunmasterSTP]

I know it's been years, but out of curiosity, did you pursue this project?

[@DaveAckley]

Thanks for the feedback. It sounds like you've got a good selection of stuff to study. Beyond that, I'd only say: Nothing beats implementing your own models, and then deeply observing what they do. And then doing that again.

[@DaveAckley]

Another introductory video for the New Mexico CS for All project. Almost 30 minutes, with demos. Thoughts and shares appreciated!

[@isaiahsias3818]

Three minutes in and I am an instant subscriber. In all of my years of KZbin, this hasn't happened until now. Great speaking. Amazing channel. I'm hooked.

[@DaveAckley]

Well, it's pretty drastically simplified from that -- e.g., no neural net brains, so no learning during lifetime -- but, yes, many of the basic design principles are related. This is most similar to a programming project called 'Huegene' that I've assigned a couple of times over the years. Thanks for the comment!

[@PunmasterSTP]

I'm so glad that this is up on KZbin for people to discover. Thanks so much!

[@sgnl_]

" Since I am a computational system, I need the strong claim! You do too!" Plus plus! We'll done sir! Great videos, looking forward to watching the rest.

[@theboringleadingthebored7239]

Sir, your videos are the best I've ever came accross on the internet. Thank you!

[@DaveAckley]

Gábor Pap Thanks!

[@abolfazlzaraki8873]

Amazing talk! Thank you very much @Dave Ackley

[@fangyizhu-lu9to]

I love your videos so much that it clearly presented the evolution of life.Thank you for sharing it.

[@danbutcher8108]

Thank you Dave, a really good presentation without hype, which is refreshing.

[@davesleep3870]

I stumbled across your video on hill climbing 2 days before an exam, but I will definitely be back to watch all your videos in the future. Brilliant stuff!

[@DaveAckley]

Thanks for the kind words. Hope the exam went well!

[@chakazul]

Love the phase "computational paganism"

[@toyonohoshi]

I'm a Biologist...and I do agree that life does not have to be limited to chemical realm! I'm taking my first steps now into in silico life and simulations....very promising and needed as well ^ ^ thanks for the great vids :)

[@likeyou3317]

I like how a simple program can simulate a complicated process. Thanks for sharing it!

[@ayaxcordova2463]

I just found your channel a few minutes ago and now I feel that I love You 😂 ❤️ Your content is amazing 🔥

[@DaveAckley]

Welcome!

[@sergefoppossi3333]

This is nice! an interesting insight about life using a computer. I liked the comparison and your explanations!

[@Tann114]

lol, the twist at the end! Thanks for sharing your wisdom.

[@BestTheGuy]

What could be cooler than Mr.Miyagi kicking bad guy's asses? It's Mr.Miyagi talking about artificial life.

[@HemenShowkati]

Thank you very much. Wow! I've been working in this area in last few years but in an erratic manner! I don't know if you are interested to see my drafts. My BSc and MSc was in Power Systems but I have always wanted to do some REAL contribution. The only topic worth working on my whole life time is Artificial Life. I didn't know there are people seriously working in this field until I came across your video on you tube. Again I want to thank you for sharing. Look forward to see more of your insights.

[@TheEvolNemesis]

Very good talk. It struck me how computer viruses are life a little before code red hit, when it was found that computer viruses in the wild were interacting with each other and other programs to actually mutate into new forms that had features of both and were resistant to either identification or removal by the normally effective procedures to kill them. So just by being out in the wild, existing in so many different and unpredictable computer environments where their code could potentially be modified by some other program, and having that ability to reproduce themselves, the viruses had actually managed to spontaneously evolve ways to survive threats that used to kill them. Either by hiding, becoming resistant to removal, or in some cases evolving to fight back and attack antivirus code, This was real evolution. The infections that didn't adapt or had their code altered in a way that was fatal to them, died, the ones that managed to mutate or combine with the right other malware or program to be resistant to common antiviruses, reproduced and survived, and so new strains would become common as one would be dealt with by new antivirus definitions. And this wasn't even a rare thing. It was common to the point that MOST strains of the most widespread viruses hadn't ever had their code touched by a human hand since the original virus was released, but had literally evolved to their forms in the wild on their own.

[@DaveAckley]

Thanks for your thoughts! Back when, as far as I knew, computer virus 'evolution' was all human-mediated somehow, like the polymorphic viruses. I heard anecdotes about 'spontaneous and in the wild' computer virus evolution, but never saw a solid citation.

[@TheEvolNemesis]

@@DaveAckley Hmm, yeah, I guess it's possible these are all tall tales, It's something I'd think was rather improbable, but it's not impossible, there were tens of millions of infected machines for many of these after all, and malware isn't known for taking much effort to be thread or memory-safe. Fascinating to think about the possibility anyway.

[@SvetlinTotev]

I've recently watched a few videos of people actually engineering things using genetic algorithms. The specific examples were for designing wind turbines and for designing curved roofs but obviously you can use it for everything for witch you can define a fitness function.

[@diorthotistm1621]

This is really cool, I would like to play this thing.

[@kevinjhansen7415]

WOW!! Great material. I feel as though, not only have I "learned" something from this... But that I've made new decision about this type of intellectual pursuit. I totally agree with your points on contributing to society. I see it as a 'Love money, use people/love people use money" thing.. If there is ANY way of using this type of technology to benefit society, I am IN! Off to watch the rest of your free videos, will see you on the other side.

[@DaveAckley]

Kevin Jhansen A huge early step is building awareness about there being other ways to compute, beyond the mess we've got now. Thanks for the good thoughts!

[@jamesbarrett5327]

I Love your the videos (well the parts I can comprehend) and thank you for taking the time the make the videos. PS: I think the confusion of the quote may be from Doctor Who: Season 1, Episode 10 "The Doctor Dances" (12 May 2006) the Doc says "What's life. Life's easy. A quirk of matter. Nature's way of keeping meat fresh. Nothing to a nanogene." but I may be wrong would not be the first time .

[@DaveAckley]

James Barrett Thanks for the reference!

[@BrightBlackBanana]

Amazing video! So interesting - subscribed

[@Rakiayn]

that is a nice simulation. looks a bit like mine. I like how you made the plants to be able to evolve as well. Its a good way to force a predator pray system and to keep evolution going.

[@michaelparadjian2459]

You explain really very good!!!! Have you tried to see if there's a way to predict the situation after a time t without actually running the program (a kind of a way to predic the evolution)?

[@DaveAckley]

Well, since the evolutionary system has both amplification (from reproduction) and randomness (from mutation), there's good reason not to expect any detailed closed-form predictions. See e.g. NMCS4ALL: Random number generators for more thoughts on randomness and predictability.

[@apostolospantazis3522]

Been a while since I have come across anything interesting on youtube. Thanks for sharing Dr Ackley great content - most importantly I can understand it :)

[@DaveAckley]

Sure thing! Thanks for watching.

[@dodexodus]

This is brilliantly inspired! I've just finished my 2nd year of computer science and this is exactly the area i want to be working in. I don't have the words to express my excitement about all this, it's just beautiful! Do you happen to have any pointers on topic areas to research? next year my module selections include "bio-algorithms", "bio-computing", "the evolution of complex systems" and "real-time & cyber-physical systems", which i hope will direct me well towards this area of study!

[@NathanRackley]

Very interesting overview of Artificial Life. Am I correct in assuming that this is a more modern version of the World AL simulator from the Ackley/Littman 1991 paper "Interactions Between Learning and Evolution"?

[@MrDonald911]

Great videos ! Very Informative, thank you very much for sharing your knowledge Sir ! Would you consider doing some tutorials about this ? Also can we simulate things like the collapse of a civilization or the spreading of an Idea ?

[@pedrocisneros8046]

Interesting intro! thanks for having the time to post it! I'm really looking forward knowing about open questions in Artificial Life and applications (besides the idea of creating self-sustainable "beneficial programs"). I'll be very grateful if you can tell me some of them.

[@pedrocisneros8046]

replying to myself, the last ALIFE14 conference proceedings can be freesly downloaded from MIT press. There I saw your work on "Indefinitely Scalable Computing = Artificial Life Engineering", I will try to check it out!

[@matthiasengh7935]

I like listening to him!

[@skilz8098]

Excellent video, I truly enjoyed it, your presentation and the manner in which you delivered the content. Awesome Job and keep up the great works! Now, personally for me, the bit or parts about Life, its definition and what it means, I'm a bit invariant and this may appeal to some while causing others to cringe making this a controversial assessment, yet I'll stand firm with my convictions. Life, the ability or capability to be self alert, self aware, to be adaptive through various learning processes, has, contains, feels, or produces various emotional states, has imagination and can storytell, can make choices, has or is consciousness. Life is beyond the physical and chemical realm of existence. Life is Spirit! However, there are two variants of life. The first which is Spirit is eternal, and the second which is Physical Life does contain a beginning and an end, yet continues on through its offspring. These are my definitions, perceptions and interpretations of life. I would even go as far as claiming that the entire Universe or the Cosmos as a whole or single entity is alive and that it is a single conscious far beyond what we could ever begin to comprehend. Don't get me wrong, I still find this topic and talk very interesting, especially within the fields of computer science... I find them intriguing, current, and relative to what is happening within the world or our era of civilization today... I believe that it is theoretically possible that we could create a fully functional artificial intelligence that does mimic or resemble that of the physical human mind, yet I do not believe that we are capable of artificially creating life in the terms that it has a Spirit and a Soul... Yes, we can create bacteria, viruses, and other various things but we don't have the ability to create a Spirit (consciousness), nor the ability to create souls, except through intercourse with our offspring!

[@mastornadettofernet]

"I put mountains on the edges" end of video: lifes, uh, finds a way

[@enkuo3091]

it is very funny, how can write this program? are there some tutorial online?

[@Neutron91939]

I have to create a similar environment for my final project and I'm totally screwed. This gave me a clear idea of what I have to create but I don't think I can do it. Do you have any recommendations or advice Dave?

[@DaveAckley]

Start early!

[@aandre311]

Brillliant!! i always saw DNA like chemical programing code.

[@maxjohn9640]

That was brilliant! I'm an evolutionary biology student, just getting into coding for my Masters Research project. I read Steven Levy's book "Artificial Life" last year after a computer science friend gave it to me - I've been fascinated ever since, although not had too much chance to investigate further. Where could one study this, coming from a biology/evolutionary biology background? Are there any books for beginner programmers on this thrilling subject? It seems to me an impeccable way to learn about evolution and phenomenally loaded with potential.

[@DaveAckley]

Max John Not sure I have many great recommendations for starting out.. the course this video was made for used NetLogo, and there's lots of tutorials and examples out there for that. ***** is one of the greats. Thanks for the thoughts!

[@gatheringwithin]

I love the ending :D.. thanks for sharing

[@twheys]

Great video, lots of insight on life systems vs. computation systems. I disagree about computer viruses being considered life forms, though, in the same way that a biological viruses are not considered life forms. Since they require a host to reproduce, they are not considered life forms. Likewise, computer viruses require a host (a computer) to reproduce.

[@DaveAckley]

+Timothy Heys Thanks for the comment! Virus-vs-life is a crisp distinction when host-vs-non-host is, which is sometimes. I don't want to be a non-living virus on host Earth.

[@enjoypolo]

But are you implying that humans don't need a host? A womb, a planet?

[@Frozlie1]

Awesome video!

[@CamaroRick]

And we are the first green model. Hopefully we can out smart the "herbivores"

[@Driss1]

I am a Computer Science major working on my Bachelors degree right now. I want to specialize in Artificial Intelligence or rather more specifically Machine Learning. I was wondering if you might have any advice for me and also these videos are amazing and is there a way for me to get some kind of executable file from the demos in the videos for research on my senior project?

[@DaveAckley]

Naizak Bellemsieh I don't give out the source for the video demos because I just hack it up for my own use, so I don't work it up to distribution quality. And anyway, the best advice I can give is you'll learn tons more by implementing stuff on your own! Thanks for the comment.

[@michaeljmcguffin]

Great ending!

[@DaveAckley]

+michaeljmcguffin Thanks for checking it out!

[@johnvonhorn2942]

Life always finds a way

[@SendyTheEndless]

Really interesting. And I liked the ending :)

[@8bitbrainz]

Is there a download of this Demo ? :]

[@revimfadli4666]

Where can I download the simulation?

[@midorishimiz]

may I know what type of software were used for this simulation? Is this using GPGPU?

[@DaveAckley]

It's just Java code, old school!

[@CoolFu5ion]

if I may, the biggest issue with your model is the fact that it's linear. Life isn't linear not to mention the luck factor...still your model is a good start! good stuff!

[@DaveAckley]

Renato Neves The model has more and less linear elements. Extinction is non-linear, for example.

[@PaulIshak]

Where can I download your program?

[@TheRobcole92]

mind blown

[@good.1779]

LOOK OUT!!! HERE COMES THE VEGETARIAN!!!

[@primodernious]

living systems of reality are all created by the same base rules that must be applied in computers to drive artificial evolution and that is randomness combined with preprogrammed rules. the chemcial stuff works by reaching a equalibrium where uv light is used to cause mutation that causes molecules that can obtain energy from a previous inert state of molecues in a equalibrium. the ground rules for the natural system is the properties of atoms and their molecular properties that behave or is writtens as algoritms or rules. a set of natural atomic and molecular rules is needed to give the basics for randomness to cause mutations that give rise to evolution..

[@joncekful]

great medium

[@koreboredom4302]

Look out! Here come the vegetarians!

[@quasar2189]

i am vary intersting in this. but, now i am not good at english. however, somewhere i will re try this video. i want to study and majer this topic. i would like to create the another world at computer. plase, continue active this youtbe ID

[@himynamesfather]

Did this guy invent falling sand, ect.

[@xNoRaK]

This program is REALLY interesting. (genius)You should program certain color of herb to have a greatest reproduction rates in order to put in evidence the Darwin state of nature. Plus it would be interesting to add "ocean" or territorial delimitation to emphase the impact of socio-geographical constraint.And then a next stepAllow tree to grow between "strong" herbs and allow the population to cutdown trees (in order to gain a money/influence/power factor a.k.a. a greater reproduction rate). (Darwin) Maybe it would also be interesting to simulate temperature variation (following seasons and normal laws) on the different quadrants of this map. Can't wait for the MAJ ;)

[@DaveAckley]

I encourage everybody to learn enough programming to make their own alife models!

[@FieelFlying]

Any guide/tutorial ?

[@SendyTheEndless]

8:24 NOOOOOOOO!! *sniff*

[@qwerty27519]

Great way to end it

[@funky3ddy]

Prof. David Ackley's introduction to the concepts of artificial life (with demos). I believe you'll find this interesting, *****.

[@funky3ddy]

***** Well, I doubt that we'll ever be able to upload our consciousness (you would just make a new "person", very similar to you), but I believe sophisticated artificial intelligence will become a reality, and people like Prof. Ackley are making the first steps. In the future, our virtual artificial life could potentially become real, all AI will need is a vessel (a robot), which will let it interact with the "real" world. What we (wet-ware) need is an efficient way to connect nerve endings, and advancements in robotics. I guess AI will be able to help us create that technology which will extend our life, before the brain wears out and dies.

[@mikebellamy]

_"We can make computers ... write computer programs"_ focussing on the output not the cause just missing the obvious point they are designed, the result of an intelligent mind.

[@nightmarius]

WOW!

[@primodernious]

you need to create a artificial dna that define all the properties of the creature, behavior and averything, that can mutate by replicaiton. the dna must be able to grow in size, supporting advances that can be observed as either behavior or traits. survival of the fittest is the most important.

[@Daniel-ww6uq]

can I get this program???

[@DaveAckley]

That code was worked up for the video and isn't distributed. I know some people have made their own implementations, though -- which is a great path for learning.

[@tsubasa123ist]

what software do u use?

[@DaveAckley]

Openoffice for the slides and java for the demos

[@tsubasa123ist]

Thank you sir!

[@itsafish4600]

Wow

[@EvertvanIngen]

Sensai

[@АлександрБагмутов]

Interesing! But what the what with strong/weak claim?? As far as I got it, it`s just transformed question about definition of the term "life". It`s not meaningful in any way! It would be appropriate to ask it a few centuries ago, when the best model of the world included that mysterious entity LIIIFE, which just bumps into existenceout of nowhere... but not now, when we know that life is just ordinary molecules doing routine stuff.

[@deanmav3571]

African LIFE

[@gnt10]

Does anyone else have sound problems in this video? This is kinda annoying.

[@1schwererziehbar1]

I think the audio is fucked.

[@templargfx]

Fantastic Video!