Maybe someone has already tried this, but I have an idea for software creation. First you create a simple program that all it can do is make ten copies of itself. Then you create a "master program" that will randomly change 1 bit in the simple program. It would then execute the all ten copies of the simple program. If any of the programs produced errors causing them not to execute they would be imediately deleted (natural selection) and if it had no affect on the program operation the program would spawn 10 copies of itself again and the process would start over with those copies. In theory, the random adding of bits would eventually create a useful program. (or crash the operating system (probably more likely)). I don't know enough about programing to try this, but maybe someone else could give it a shot.
Slashdot Mirror
Maybe someone has already tried this, but I have an idea for software creation. First you create a simple program that all it can do is make ten copies of itself. Then you create a "master program" that will randomly change 1 bit in the simple program. It would then execute the all ten copies of the simple program. If any of the programs produced errors causing them not to execute they would be imediately deleted (natural selection) and if it had no affect on the program operation the program would spawn 10 copies of itself again and the process would start over with those copies. In theory, the random adding of bits would eventually create a useful program. (or crash the operating system (probably more likely)). I don't know enough about programing to try this, but maybe someone else could give it a shot.
Steven Potter