Team:HZAU-China/OutReach/hp/New life form

Mixed-Reality CellBidirectinal coupling between real and virtual bio-oscillator


Thought and Inspiration


--Discusion of new life form



Can an organism be regarded a life form if it has to decide its fate together with computer programs? Now, our team tries to design a life form included organisms and computer programs. For this life form, organisms and computer programs both have right to choose the mode of life. If organisms and computer programs have equal rights to codetermine the fate of mix-reality cell, we will deduce that mix-reality cell also is selected by computer's environment. The evolution of mix-reality cell can't be explained according to natural selection theory or homotropic inheritance. What if the new life form is created successfully? The coupling of real and virtual world will promote the researches of scientists and improve the ability of human. However, technology is a rapier. It can't be ignored that there will be some problems in realm of safety, ethics and legislation. Our project also reveals the transform of space-time as Chines poet Li Bai said, "The world is all in, is the time traveler's life from ancient to modern times, the difference, just like dream and wake up, much change, by joy, cannot explain or find out why, and how much."


New life form？

There is a phenomenon in nature that life always transforms inorganic substances into a part of its own. For example, rock and soil environments are confluent systems which different organisms fuse their own conditions for themselves. Some scholars also regard this phenomenon as co-evolution. Similarly, in the realm of human cognition, people could deliberately or autonomously transform something irrelevant into a part of their lives. We can find some examples: totem culture, fetishism and so on. In fact, social contact isn’t a behavior taking others in private life? However, the latter has something interesting. At the beginning of the article, I said. “life always transforms inorganic substances into a part of its own”. Comparing with some activities that organisms unilaterally change their environments according to their necessities and will, social contact has a unique attribute—the sharing of experience. Co-evolution between species is a type of communication of experience and information, because both species are expressing their intention to each other in their ways. In our project, before the coupling between bacterium and computer programs, computers get feedback from bacterium and sent its responses to bacteria. This process is a type of communication. In this process, bacterium and computer program all share each other’s experience or information.


(Life always transforms is environment into a part of its own)


If we imagine the contact of people when we think the coupling between two systems (bacterium and computer programs), we will consider it is more vivid. But it is needed to notice that bacterium’s conversation partners are computers rather than organisms. There is a scene in the film called The Imitation Game[1], the cop investigating Turing asked Turing whether a computer will have more advanced intelligence than human. Turing said it was a stupid question, because the ways computer considering is different from humanity. In the initial time of project, we often talk about movie The Matrix [2], computer games and players, smart phones, google glass and game machine in the fiction Three Body [3]. However, these examples merely have little pertinence to our project. It seems that our project wants to do a system that two independent parts fusing the one. But in those examples of smart phones, google glasses and virtual experience, the course of events was in the charge of users. What difference is the matter between the activities which life doing in the evolution and our project? What is our new life form? Didn’t we merely replay the historical process of evolution? Even though we are so familiar with the people we talk with, we can’t certainly predict what information we will receive when we communicate with others, we also can’t know how those information influences ourselves and others. Can we know how the computer programs choose their work condition when we understand how computer programs work? In the nature, organisms make decisions and choices by analyzing information their sense organs receiving. In our project, the final system does not accord to bacterium’s or computer’s decision. Instead, two parts choose together a state sharing their perception and experience. In this state, computer program engages making decisions. Computer programs are distinct from inorganic substance in traditional meaning or the realm of human’s cognition. We could make a description of a computer’s world: The code running in the machine and arithmetic, programs and computer networks based on the organizations and designs of programming. As our consideration, computer engage the activities of life, constituting a new system — half of system stay in the reality, another half one stay in the virtual world. This is a new life form. We can also call it, “the two, as one.”


（We could share our experience with computer programs just like with a person）


New evolution form?

According to the theory of Darwin, the principle of “natural selection, survival of the fittest.” selects mutation. Mutation is a random phenomenon. Beneficial mutations could increase the chance of existence and breeding of organisms. And then this mutation could be propagated to the next generation. However, skills and practices organisms studied can’t become gifts to be propagated to offspring. As the development of biology, especially the discoveries of epigenetics certified something reasonable in the theory of inheritance of acquired characters. Schrodinger ever admitted that the theory of Lamarch had some fine standpoints. Because according to the theory of Lamarch, organisms transfer the biological meaning which they make the effort to acquire for the next generation. So, all species have the right to decide how to evolve to adapt environment. The theory of Darwin pointed that every step in the evolution was decided by spontaneous mutation. In his theory, there is no dependency between evolution and industrial behaviors. In the mix-reality, the virtual part (computer programs) coupling with organisms is not a “life” selected by nature. But computer programs also decide the state of mix-reality. Now, we have to admit whether Darwin or Lamarch, the truth of evolution is still an unsolved mystery. Therefore, we shouldn’t be obstinate in the traditional concept.


Undeniably, the organic part of the coupling system still takes place randomized mutation. If our computers will become so smart even could judge what state is fittest for coupling system. Will this organism express the previous characters? If the computer program persists in the previous characters, isn’t it the inheritance of acquired characters? However, it is not neglected that the thought of the two systems are different. It is different for them to choose the ways to exist. Therefore, there will be more variability for the result of coupling. At the same time, there is an interesting phenomenon may be the first time in the history of life that life needs to discuss the future with strange silicon substance except natural selection.


However, the concept of nature seems to change. Not only do the organisms consume realistic resource, but also occupy a computer resource. If we think about how the computer environment selects, we will discover it interesting to discuss the problems of natural selection. How will mix-reality evolve in such a computer environment? What kind of ecosystem it will be? Further on, will there be another evolution from for human?

What will we achieve if new life form is created successfully?

In regard of the prospect of the project, people can easily come up with the coupling between the virtual world and neuron cell. In the research field of neuron science, model organisms are still animals. And many achievements revealed some common characters of humans and animals. There is a problem that the most unusual part of humanity was still an unsolved question. Can we know about the rules of humanity’s consciousness by studying computer programs?


As the most complicated system, a brain of human has billions of neuron cells have lots of times more than machines. If brains could couple with the virtual world, computer science will achieve the leap of studying and recognition. Computers have a greater advantage than brain in calculating. For instance, any calculator and mobile phone can calculate faster than their users. Humans’ thought is different from computers. Humans' brains do not evolve into a calculator. You never starve when you buying food even if you can’t calculate calculus. However, if you are terrible at learning and recognizing, you will eat moldy food to die for intestinal infection. Computers evolve by selection of the ability of calculating. Tolls are extension of humans’ abilities. Next giant progress will take place when people achieve the mix of life and computer. Human will really improve intelligence and abilities to overcome its own weakness.

What problems will be caused if new life form is created successfully?

It will cause some behaviors of tampering organisms if computer programs have sectional right of control. If life could couple with computer program fast and efficiently, the modification of life also could get fast and efficient. Somehow, this new life form is vulnerable. Battles between behaviors trying to tamper life and protection against vicious misdeeds will become fiercer and fiercer. Because mix-reality is a mixed system, we could cultivate humans’ critical thinking to withstand brainwashing (we consume mix-reality will be applied to human). In the computer, we could learn from the examples about antivirus software and computer virus. We could set the permissions such as firewalls in the computers. In the meanwhile, it is necessary to preserve some important functions of organisms without coupling with computer programs. So, organisms still have the right of control after computers are occupied by enemies.


（In the science fiction animation Ghost in the Shell, the stories mainly about the crime of spiteful control of humans' electronic brains[4]）


One of the most important instincts is existing. So, there always is conflict between different species. In the contemporary era, racial problems are still troublesome in some areas of the world. It will be unavoidable for new life form and old ones to clash. However, age changes, discrimination and violence always have the power to break out. Can our society accept a life form different from people’s common sense and experience? However, the result will be. The new life form will test the reason of a civilization.


Can we assume that a person’s behaviors are controlled entirely by his or her substance in the cells if life couples with computer the material basis? If the answer is “yes”, there is another question. “does the free will really exist? ” The question is whether free will exist never is answered. Some people think it exists. Some people don’t think so. Free will would get more normal. According to what put forward in the safety problems, organisms’ activities will be changed easily. A man or woman would have great morality with less effort. It is not clear whether such a result is right for some schools of philosophy believing in asceticism such as stoicism. There is a one thing need to pay attention. The principle of legislation base on the existence of free will now. How can we judge a man or woman’s crime if there something very doubtful about free will? Does the man or woman want to sin or the cells constituting his or her body wants to sin?


Every person is curious about the question what life is always wanting to get answers. But life always gets new characters before the problem is solved. People often can’t predict how objects develop. Because life is an open system, we can’t know what potential it has. I come up with a sentence in a science fiction I ever read. The general content is. “are those humans who leave the earth to explore the universe humans who conform to the traditional concept? ” Such organism has already beyond all experience which we cognized when an organism decides the fate with an existence beyond all states of our experience.

"A Fond Dream of Nanke"[5]

Did you have a dream, which you spent all your life in it but only a few minutes in fact? Or you felt a very short time you had slept but the night had gone. The flow of time in dreams isn't fixed. It might be changed at the level of brain activity. As the story of the inception, we can infer that the stronger brain activity when we are dreaming, the longer time we will feel. How does the Mr.cell who is half in the real world and half in the virtual world feel the theme files?


Virtual world also is the dream in the machine. The time in the virtual world is isolated to the time in the real world. Scientists can simulate the evolution of the universe at 13.7 billion years in the supercomputer, but the program only needs few months or years in the real world. Therefore, can we infer the speed of time is depended on computing performance in the machine? If people can go to dreamland with clear awareness, will they live through thousands of years even the eternal? When people finally evolve to the mix-real life form, can they shuttle between two worlds and spend very little time on working in the virtual world then enjoy themselves in the real world? Or can the consciousness resides in the virtual world to achieve immortality?


The other complex question is whether our world is virtual or not. Maybe our world is a program which is running on a faster and more powerful server, but we cannot be aware of it until others who come from the other world tell us. For example, someone tells you to pay attention to the moon. After that, you suddenly notice that the full moon lasted for a month! If our world is virtual, there is a paradox in it, why our creators don’t touch with us or other creators don’t create a new life form that it can shuttle between two worlds as we did in our project?

If we surmise about the time is true, maybe there is night in our creators’ world now. Because of the asymmetric time, maybe the millions years in our world can equal in the few seconds in their world. And at the moment, they are sleeping. When they wake up in the morning, they will check the program and then kill it. Maybe we live in the world that will be destroyed at any time.

As a creature, we also are creators. We create the virtual world in the machine. As we try to do in our project, we can create a new life form that lives in the real world and virtual world we created. Maybe we will get the key from the Mr.cell. And I wish it is a reassuring answer.


(In Chinese traditional literary, there is a story named A Fond Dream of Nanke revealed the concept that the transformation of space-time [5])



[1]The Imitation Game is a 2014 American historical drama thriller film directed by Morten Tyldum, with a screenplay by Graham Moore loosely based on the biography Alan Turing: The Enigma by Andrew Hodges (previously adapted as the stage play and BBC drama Breaking the Code). It stars Benedict Cumberbatch as real life British cryptanalyst Alan Turing, who decrypted German intelligence codes for the British government during World War II.


[2]The Matrix is a 1999 American science fiction action films written and directed by The Wachowskis, starring Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, Hugo Weaving, and Joe Pantoliano. It depicts a dystopian future in which reality as perceived by most humans is actually a simulated reality called "the Matrix", created by sentient machines to subdue the human population, while their bodies' heat and electrical activity are used as an energy source. Computer programmer "Neo" learns this truth and is drawn into a rebellion against the machines, which involve other people who have been freed from the "dream world".


[3]Three Body is a science fiction novel by the Chinese writer Liu Cixin. It is the first of a trilogy titled Remembrance of Earth’s Past.The plot concerns an invasion of Earth by the alien "Trisolarans" and the response of Earth's governments and scientists to this threat. Set against the backdrop of China's Cultural Revolution, a secret military project sends signals into space to establish contact with aliens. An alien civilization on the brink of destruction captures the signal and plans to invade Earth. Meanwhile, on earth, different camps start forming, planning to either welcome the superior beings and help them take over a world seen as corrupt, or to fight against the invasion.


[4]Ghost in the Shell is a Japanese media franchise originally published as a seinen manga series of the same name written and illustrated by Masamune Shirow. The manga, first serialized in 1989 under the subtitle of The Ghost in the Shell, and later published as its own tankōbon volumes by Kodansha, told the story of the fictional counter-cyberterrorist organization Public Security Section 9, led by protagonist Major Motoko Kusanagi, in the mid21st century of Japan.


[5]A Fond Dream of Nanke: In the Tang Dynasty, there lived a person called Chun Yufen, who thought himself a wise man but was not recognized by people then. So he often felt sad and drank down to pass his time. One day, he was drinking under an old pagoda tree, to the south of his house. He soon fell asleep and had a dream.In his dream, Chun Yufen met with an atomy who introduced himself to Chun Yufen that he came to invite him to the great Kingdom of Pagoda. Chun Yufen gladly went there with him. He found himself into a fairy world with many red gates, magnificent palaces, luxuriant pavilions and beautiful gardens; in a word, it couldn't be found in the real world. The king appreciated him very much so that he was named the head of Nanke. Soon after, he married the king's pretty daughter. Chun Yufen was so happy with the life there that he totally forgot his hometown and his family. But it was not long before the kingdom was invaded by another country and Chun Yufen had to lead the troops to hold out the enemies. Unfortunately his troops were defeated and his wife died. Chun Yufen was badly hit and he felt very disappointed to himself, so he decided to leave the Kingdom of Pagoda. In the end, he was sent home by the atomy. As soon as he arrived home, he woke up to realize what had happened was just a dream, which only took him a short time to have. There lay the half glass of alcohol on the ground in front of him. And there was an ant creeping on one of his feet. Looking down at the little creature he found an ant nest in the old pagoda tree. "Oh, it must have been in the ant nest that I entered and took that kingdom in my dream." He murmured. The story is often used to say that someone is very happy about something not based on reality. For an example, someone thought he won a lottery and was very happy about it, but actually he did not win anything.


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