Self-replicating code snippets compete for space in virtual environments
The self-replicating artificial life emerged from a digital “primordial soup” of random data, despite the lack of clear rules or goals driving such behavior. The researchers believe that further refinements to the experiment could lead to more advanced digital creatures, which could shed light on the mechanisms behind the emergence of life on Earth.
Although the process of evolution is well understood, little is known about how inert molecules first came together to form life.
Source: www.newscientist.com
