What is Artificial Life, or A-Life?
The study of life and living systems has historically been dominated by the study of organic (carbon-based) organisms as they are found on one isolated planet in a vast universe of possibilities. This study is largely contained within the field of biology, which applies a top-down approach-essentially taking apart existing living systems to discover the essential elements. Because the number and variety of living systems available for study is strictly limited, biology has some inherent weaknesses. The biological approach can be compared to an attempt to learn the principles of painting by studying the works found in a single museum or created by a single artist. While such an approach will surely yield many valuable insights, it is unlikely that we can learn all that there is to know about the subject of painting in this manner. In the same way that a deeper understanding of painting can be gained by attempting to create your own works, those within the discipline of A-Life seek to be
