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The organic builder: a public experiment in artificial chemistries and self-replication
1Department of Computer Science, University College London, UK. tim.hutton@gmail.com
Artificial Life
|October 16, 2008
Summary
Users of the Organic Builder, an artificial chemistry Java applet, discovered novel self-replicators through experimentation. Publicly accessible web-based systems can foster unexpected scientific innovation.
Area of Science:
- Artificial chemistry
- Computational biology
- Complex systems
Background:
- The Organic Builder is a Java applet designed for exploring artificial chemistry.
- It allows users to define rules to achieve specific system behaviors, initially as a game.
Purpose of the Study:
- To document and analyze user-driven discoveries within the Organic Builder.
- To explore the potential of public participation in scientific discovery through web-based platforms.
Main Methods:
- Users interacted with the Organic Builder applet, experimenting with various rule sets.
- Submitted results and observed behaviors were collected and analyzed.
Main Results:
- Users discovered several novel forms of self-replicating structures.
- Experimentation extended beyond the initially intended game challenges.
Conclusions:
- Publicly accessible, interactive web platforms can be effective tools for scientific discovery.
- User innovation and experimentation are key drivers of novel findings in artificial chemistry.
- Citizen science approaches can yield significant results in complex systems research.
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