Stanford Seminar - Lenia- Biology of Artificial Life, Bert Wang-Chak Chan

Overview

Explore the fascinating world of artificial life through a Stanford seminar on Lenia, a continuous cellular automaton system. Delve into the origins of computer simulations, starting with Conway's Game of Life, and discover how Lenia expands upon these concepts. Learn about the software engineering and data flow behind artificial life simulations. Investigate the study of alien life forms through various scientific lenses, including evolution, physics, taxonomy, ecology, morphology, and behavior. Compare discrete and continuous systems in artificial life, and examine the similarities between Lenia and Earth-based life. Contemplate the fundamental question "What is life?" and explore future directions in the field of artificial life. Gain insights into the ALife community and its ongoing research efforts.

Syllabus

Introduction.
Computer Simulations.
The Beginnings.
Game of Life.
Software Engineering.
Data Flow.
Studying Alien Life.
Evolution (Create patterns)..
Physics (Space-time properties).
Taxonomy (Classification).
Ecology (Distribution).
Morphology (Structures).
Behavior (Dynamics).
Morphometrics (Statistics).
Discrete vs Continuous.
Lenia & Earth Life.
What is Life?.
Future Directions.
ALife Community.