Artificial Chemistry Preparation

Overview

While the origins of life are still being investigated, there must have been a transition from free-floating chemicals to some kind of contained cell structure. The subfield of artificial chemistry is focused on this pre-cell time and the transition to cells. Today, we’ll learn a little bit about how researchers in this field use simulations to study these general dynamics.

AI Policy

As a reminder, you are not allowed to use genAI to summarize or produce your reading check responses. These checks are for you to engage with the material and start thinking about things before class. It’s okay if you don’t understand everything ahead of time!

Basic Learning Objectives

Before class, you should be able to:

• Identify the functionally different types of molecules by their behavior
• Explain at a high level how an artificial chemistry software system can be implemented

Advanced Learning Objectives

After class, you should be able to:

• Use Empirical to implement a basic artificial chemistry system

Reading

Read the following:

• 2.1 (The basic elements) and 2.2 (Chemistry before evolution) of Biological Bits
• Revisit Section 2 of Studying Artificial Life with Cellular Automata by Christopher G. Langton “The functional roles of biomolecules”

Checks

Submit answers to the following on Moodle:

• Based on both Dorin and Langton’s lists, what do you think are the most important molecules to include in an artificial chemistry simulation aimed at replicating the emergence of cells (and therefore life)?
• What dynamics of life are captured (potentially) in artificial chemistry models? What is still missing even in the ideal case?
• How would you know from looking at an artificial chemistry model (or its data output) whether it is “successful”?