Conceived for both computer scientists and biologists alike, this collection of 22 essays highlights the important new role that computers play in developmental biology research. Essays show how through computer modeling, researchers gain further insight into developmental processes. Featured essays also cover their use in designing computer algorithms to tackle computer science problems in areas like neural network design, robot control, evolvable hardware, and more. Peter Bentley, noted for his prolific research on evolutionary computation, and Sanjeev Kumar head up a respected team to guide readers through these very complex and fascinating disciplines.* Covers both developmental biology and computational development -- the only book of its kind!* Provides introductory material and more detailed information on BOTH disciplines * Includes contribututions from Richard Dawkins, Lewis Wolpert, Ian Stewart, and many other experts

The use of evolution for creative problem solving is one of the most exciting and potentially significant areas in computer science today. Evolutionary computation is a way of solving problems, or generating designs, using mechanisms derived from natural evolution. This book concentrates on applying important ideas in evolutionary computation to creative areas, such as art, music, architecture, and design. It shows how human interaction, new representations, and approaches such as open-ended evolution can extend the capabilities of evolutionary computation from optimization of existing solutions to innovation and the generation of entirely new and original solutions. This book takes a fresh look at creativity, exploring what it is and how the actions of evolution can resemble it. Examples of novel evolved solutions are presented in a variety of creative disciplines. The editors have compiled contributions by leading researchers in each discipline. If you are a savvy and curious computing professional, a computer-literate artist, musician or designer, or a specialist in evolutionary computation and its applications, you will find this a fascinating survey of the most interesting work being done in the area today.* Explores the use of evolutionary computation to generate novel creations including contemporary melodies, photo-realistic faces, jazz music in collaboration with a human composer, architectural designs, working electronic circuits, novel aircraft maneuvers, two- and three-dimensional art, and original proteins.* Presents resulting designs in black-and-white and color illustrations.* Includes a twin-format audio/CD-ROM with evolved music and hands-on activities for the reader, including evolved images, animations, and source-code related to the text.* Describes in full the methods used so that readers with sufficient skill and interest can replicate the work and extend it.* Is written for a general computer science audience, providing coherent and unified treatment across multiple disciplines.

Conceived for both computer scientists and biologists alike, this collection of 22 essays highlights the important new role that computers play in developmental biology research. Essays show how through computer modeling, researchers gain further insight into developmental processes. Featured essays also cover their use in designing computer algorithms to tackle computer science problems in areas like neural network design, robot control, evolvable hardware, and more. Peter Bentley, noted for his prolific research on evolutionary computation, and Sanjeev Kumar head up a respected team to guide readers through these very complex and fascinating disciplines.* Covers both developmental biology and computational development -- the only book of its kind!* Provides introductory material and more detailed information on BOTH disciplines * Includes contribututions from Richard Dawkins, Lewis Wolpert, Ian Stewart, and many other experts

There's a hidden science that affects every part of your life. You are fluent in its terminology of email, WiFi, social networking, and encryption. You use its results when you make a telephone call, access the Internet, use any factory-produced product, or travel in any modern car. The discipline is so new that some prefer to call it a branch of engineering or mathematics. But it is so powerful and world-changing that you would be hard-pressed to find a single human being on the planet unaffected by its achievements. The science of computers enables the supply and creation of power, food, water, medicine, transport, money, communication, entertainment, and most goods in shops. It has transformed societies with the Internet, the digitization of information, mobile phone networks and GPS technologies. Here, Peter J. Bentley explores how this young discipline grew from its theoretical conception by pioneers such as Turing, through its growth spurts in the Internet, its difficult adolescent stage where the promises of AI were never achieved and dot-com bubble burst, to its current stage as a (semi)mature field, now capable of remarkable achievements. Charting the successes and failures of computer science through the years, Bentley discusses what innovations may change our world in the future.

There's a hidden science that affects every part of your life. You are fluent in its terminology of email, WiFi, social networking, and encryption. You use its results when you make a telephone call, access the Internet, use any factory-produced product, or travel in any modern car.The discipline is so new that some prefer to call it a branch of engineering or mathematics. But it is so powerful and world-changing that you would be hard-pressed to find a single human being on the planet unaffected by its achievements. The science of computers enables the supply and creation of power, food, water, medicine, transport, money, communication, entertainment, and most goods in shops. It has transformed societies with the Internet, the digitization of information, mobile phone networks and GPS technologies. Here, Peter J. Bentley explores how this young discipline grew from its theoretical conception by pioneers such as Turing, through its growth spurts in the Internet, its difficult adolescent stage where the promises of AI were never achieved and dot-com bubble burst, to its current stage as a (semi)mature field, now capable of remarkable achievements. Charting the successes and failures of computer science through the years, Bentley discusses what innovations may change our world in the future.

Written primarily for students of medicine, pharmacy, and pharmacology, this introductory book provides a concise summary of the principles that underlie the science of pharmacology. It presents the basic concepts required for understanding the use, mechanisms of action, toxicity and side effects, and therapeutic application of drugs in man. Thus the book may also be of interest to medical practitioners and to biological and medical scientists. Among topics covered are the sources of drugs, the way they are administered and dealt with in the body, as well as concepts about the nature of their actions. The last include their chemical interactions with components of cells and the manner in which these lead to therapeutically desirable as well as undesirable and even toxic effects. In addition, clinically related subjects, such as drug interactions, teratogenic and carcinogenic effects are discussed. The development and testing of new drugs are also described. For easy reference, at the back of the book there is a glossary of drugs named in the text.

The third edition of this popular textbook retains the successful format of previous editions, dealing with the nature, actions and roles of hormones among vertebrate animals. Special emphasis is placed on the evolution and origins of hormones and their receptors, on the role of hormones in the physiological coordination of vertebrates, and on dealing with each endocrine process in the context of the organism's physiology, ecology and evolution. Comparative Vertebrate Endocrinology discusses the intimate physiology of the endocrine system and the pivotal role of hormones in coordinating basic body processes such as nutrition, reproduction, calcium metabolism and osmoregulation, as well as their contributions to animal coloration, molting and development. The species included range from lower chordates through to mammals, including marsupials.

Imagine a future world where computers can create universes -- digital environments made from binary ones and zeros. Imagine that within these universes there exist biological forms that reproduce, grow, and think. Imagine plantlike forms, ant colonies, immune systems, and brains, all adapting, evolving, and getting better at solving problems. Imagine if our computers became greenhouses for a new kind of nature. Just think what digital biology could do for us.Perhaps it could evolve new designs for us, think up ways to detect fraud using digital neurons, or solve scheduling problems with ants. Perhaps it could detect hackers with immune systems or create music from the patterns of growth of digital seashells. Perhaps it would allow our computers to become creative and inventive.Now stop imagining.digital biology is an intriguing glimpse into the future of technology by one of the most creative thinkers working in computer science today. As Peter J. Bentley explains, the next giant step in computing technology is already under way as computer scientists attempt to create digital universes that replicate the natural world. Within these digital universes, we will evolve solutions to problems, construct digital brains that can learn and think, and use immune systems to trap and destroy computer viruses.The biological world is the model for the next generation of computer software. By adapting the principles of biology, computer scientists will make it possible for computers to function as the natural world does. In practical terms, this will mean that we will soon have "smart" devices, such as houses that will keep the temperature as we like it and automobiles that will start only for drivers they recognize (through voice recognition or other systems) and that will navigate highways safely and with maximum fuel efficiency. Computers will soon be powerful enough and small enough that they can become part of clothing. "Digital agents" will be able to help us find a bank or restaurant in a city that we have never visited before, even as we walk through the airport. Miniature robots may even be incorporated into our bodies to monitor our health. Digital Biology is also an exploration of biology itself from a new perspective. We must understand how nature works in its most intimate detail before we can use these same biological processes inside our computers. Already scientists engaged in this work have gained new insights into the elegant simplicity of the natural universe.This is a visionary book, written in accessible, nontechnical language, that explains how cutting-edge computer science will shape our world in the coming decades.

'A lucid, balanced and engaging tour of one of the most important phenomena of this century.' – Steven PinkerFrom the face recognition on your smartphone to the management of our global economy, you cannot live in the modern world without interacting with, or being impacted by, artificial intelligence and robots. But how did this happen? And what does it mean for our lives now and in the future? Is it helping to change our world for the better or creating new problems? 10 Short Lessons in Artificial Intelligence & Robotics examines these key questions and more in this essential guide to the twenty-first century’s most powerful technology.About the series: The Pocket Einstein series is a collection of essential pocket-sized guides for anyone looking to understand a little more about some of the most relevant science that affects us all in the twenty-first century. Broken down into ten simple lessons and written by leading experts in their field, discover the ten most important takeaways from those areas of science we should all know more about.

Artificial intelligence is headline news with the launch of the latest ChatGPT and Google Gemini. But when did we start making computers mimic the human mind? And what is the reality of the capabilities of AI now, and in the future?AI has always stirred emotions, and caused great excitement as well as great concern. Since the launch of large language models such as ChatGPT, the scope and capabilities of AI look set to transform our technology, in both good and bad ways. AI can help teach us how to write better or help us generate amazing artworks. But in the wrong hands, AI can create fake images and fake information that can be used to damage our societies. A new addition to the popular Bite-sized Chunks series, this expert-led book will explore how AI has developed from humble beginnings in the 1950s to today’s extraordinary AIs that have more neurons than the human brain. Focusing on specific AIs and their creators over the years, it explains the science and engineering behind each AI, discusses ethical issues and covers all the most fascinating information about one of the most important and contentious developments in human technology (including the latest on generative AI/ChatGPT), as well as what we can expect to see in the future of this field – all in short, accessible bite-sized chunks.

Artificial intelligence is headline news with the launch of the latest ChatGPT and Google Bard. But when did we start making computers mimic the human mind? And what is the reality of the capabilities of AI now, and in the future?AI has always stirred emotions, and caused great excitement as well as great concern. Since the launch of large language models such as ChatGPT, the scope and capabilities of AI look set to transform our technology, in both good and bad ways. AI can help teach us how to write better or help us generate amazing artworks. But in the wrong hands, AI can create fake images and fake information that can be used to damage our societies. A new addition to the popular Bite-sized Chunks series, this expert-led book will explore how AI has developed from humble beginnings in the 1950s to today’s extraordinary AIs that have more neurons than the human brain. Focusing on specific AIs and their creators over the years, it explains the science and engineering behind each AI, discusses ethical issues and covers all the most fascinating information about one of the most important and contentious developments in human technology (including the latest on generative AI/ChatGPT), as well as what we can expect to see in the future of this field – all in short, accessible bite-sized chunks.

TheArti?cialLifetermappearedmorethan20yearsagoinasmallcornerofNew Mexico, USA. Since then the area has developed dramatically, many researchers joining enthusiastically and research groups sprouting everywhere. This frenetic activity led to the emergence of several strands that are now established ?elds in themselves. We are now reaching a stage that one may describe as maturer: with more rigour, more benchmarks, more results, more stringent acceptance criteria, more applications, in brief, more sound science. This, which is the n- ural path of all new areas, comes at a price, however. A certain enthusiasm, a certain adventurousness from the early years is fading and may have been lost on the way. The ?eld has become more reasonable. To counterbalance this and to encourage lively discussions, a conceptual track, where papers were judged on criteria like importance and/or novelty of the concepts proposed rather than the experimental/theoretical results, has been introduced this year. A conference on a theme as broad as Arti?cial Life is bound to be very - verse,but a few tendencies emerged. First, ?elds like ‘Robotics and Autonomous Agents’ or ‘Evolutionary Computation’ are still extremely active and keep on bringing a wealth of results to the A-Life community. Even there, however, new tendencies appear, like collective robotics, and more speci?cally self-assembling robotics, which represent now a large subsection. Second, new areas appear.

TheArti?cialLifetermappearedmorethan20yearsagoinasmallcornerofNew Mexico, USA. Since then the area has developed dramatically, many researchers joining enthusiastically and research groups sprouting everywhere. This frenetic activity led to the emergence of several strands that are now established ?elds in themselves. We are now reaching a stage that one may describe as maturer: with more rigour, more benchmarks, more results, more stringent acceptance criteria, more applications, in brief, more sound science. This, which is the n- ural path of all new areas, comes at a price, however. A certain enthusiasm, a certain adventurousness from the early years is fading and may have been lost on the way. The ?eld has become more reasonable. To counterbalance this and to encourage lively discussions, a conceptual track, where papers were judged on criteria like importance and/or novelty of the concepts proposed rather than the experimental/theoretical results, has been introduced this year. A conference on a theme as broad as Arti?cial Life is bound to be very - verse,but a few tendencies emerged. First, ?elds like ‘Robotics and Autonomous Agents’ or ‘Evolutionary Computation’ are still extremely active and keep on bringing a wealth of results to the A-Life community. Even there, however, new tendencies appear, like collective robotics, and more speci?cally self-assembling robotics, which represent now a large subsection. Second, new areas appear.

Conceived for both computer scientists and biologists alike, this collection of 22 essays highlights the important new role that computers play in developmental biology research. Essays show how through computer modeling, researchers gain further insight into developmental processes. Featured essays also cover their use in designing computer algorithms to tackle computer science problems in areas like neural network design, robot control, evolvable hardware, and more. Peter Bentley, noted for his prolific research on evolutionary computation, and Sanjeev Kumar head up a respected team to guide readers through these very complex and fascinating disciplines.* Covers both developmental biology and computational development -- the only book of its kind!* Provides introductory material and more detailed information on BOTH disciplines * Includes contribututions from Richard Dawkins, Lewis Wolpert, Ian Stewart, and many other experts

The use of evolution for creative problem solving is one of the most exciting and potentially significant areas in computer science today. Evolutionary computation is a way of solving problems, or generating designs, using mechanisms derived from natural evolution. This book concentrates on applying important ideas in evolutionary computation to creative areas, such as art, music, architecture, and design. It shows how human interaction, new representations, and approaches such as open-ended evolution can extend the capabilities of evolutionary computation from optimization of existing solutions to innovation and the generation of entirely new and original solutions. This book takes a fresh look at creativity, exploring what it is and how the actions of evolution can resemble it. Examples of novel evolved solutions are presented in a variety of creative disciplines. The editors have compiled contributions by leading researchers in each discipline. If you are a savvy and curious computing professional, a computer-literate artist, musician or designer, or a specialist in evolutionary computation and its applications, you will find this a fascinating survey of the most interesting work being done in the area today.* Explores the use of evolutionary computation to generate novel creations including contemporary melodies, photo-realistic faces, jazz music in collaboration with a human composer, architectural designs, working electronic circuits, novel aircraft maneuvers, two- and three-dimensional art, and original proteins.* Presents resulting designs in black-and-white and color illustrations.* Includes a twin-format audio/CD-ROM with evolved music and hands-on activities for the reader, including evolved images, animations, and source-code related to the text.* Describes in full the methods used so that readers with sufficient skill and interest can replicate the work and extend it.* Is written for a general computer science audience, providing coherent and unified treatment across multiple disciplines.

Conceived for both computer scientists and biologists alike, this collection of 22 essays highlights the important new role that computers play in developmental biology research. Essays show how through computer modeling, researchers gain further insight into developmental processes. Featured essays also cover their use in designing computer algorithms to tackle computer science problems in areas like neural network design, robot control, evolvable hardware, and more. Peter Bentley, noted for his prolific research on evolutionary computation, and Sanjeev Kumar head up a respected team to guide readers through these very complex and fascinating disciplines.* Covers both developmental biology and computational development -- the only book of its kind!* Provides introductory material and more detailed information on BOTH disciplines * Includes contribututions from Richard Dawkins, Lewis Wolpert, Ian Stewart, and many other experts

There's a hidden science that affects every part of your life. You are fluent in its terminology of email, WiFi, social networking, and encryption. You use its results when you make a telephone call, access the Internet, use any factory-produced product, or travel in any modern car. The discipline is so new that some prefer to call it a branch of engineering or mathematics. But it is so powerful and world-changing that you would be hard-pressed to find a single human being on the planet unaffected by its achievements. The science of computers enables the supply and creation of power, food, water, medicine, transport, money, communication, entertainment, and most goods in shops. It has transformed societies with the Internet, the digitization of information, mobile phone networks and GPS technologies. Here, Peter J. Bentley explores how this young discipline grew from its theoretical conception by pioneers such as Turing, through its growth spurts in the Internet, its difficult adolescent stage where the promises of AI were never achieved and dot-com bubble burst, to its current stage as a (semi)mature field, now capable of remarkable achievements. Charting the successes and failures of computer science through the years, Bentley discusses what innovations may change our world in the future.

There's a hidden science that affects every part of your life. You are fluent in its terminology of email, WiFi, social networking, and encryption. You use its results when you make a telephone call, access the Internet, use any factory-produced product, or travel in any modern car.The discipline is so new that some prefer to call it a branch of engineering or mathematics. But it is so powerful and world-changing that you would be hard-pressed to find a single human being on the planet unaffected by its achievements. The science of computers enables the supply and creation of power, food, water, medicine, transport, money, communication, entertainment, and most goods in shops. It has transformed societies with the Internet, the digitization of information, mobile phone networks and GPS technologies. Here, Peter J. Bentley explores how this young discipline grew from its theoretical conception by pioneers such as Turing, through its growth spurts in the Internet, its difficult adolescent stage where the promises of AI were never achieved and dot-com bubble burst, to its current stage as a (semi)mature field, now capable of remarkable achievements. Charting the successes and failures of computer science through the years, Bentley discusses what innovations may change our world in the future.

Written primarily for students of medicine, pharmacy, and pharmacology, this introductory book provides a concise summary of the principles that underlie the science of pharmacology. It presents the basic concepts required for understanding the use, mechanisms of action, toxicity and side effects, and therapeutic application of drugs in man. Thus the book may also be of interest to medical practitioners and to biological and medical scientists. Among topics covered are the sources of drugs, the way they are administered and dealt with in the body, as well as concepts about the nature of their actions. The last include their chemical interactions with components of cells and the manner in which these lead to therapeutically desirable as well as undesirable and even toxic effects. In addition, clinically related subjects, such as drug interactions, teratogenic and carcinogenic effects are discussed. The development and testing of new drugs are also described. For easy reference, at the back of the book there is a glossary of drugs named in the text.

The third edition of this popular textbook retains the successful format of previous editions, dealing with the nature, actions and roles of hormones among vertebrate animals. Special emphasis is placed on the evolution and origins of hormones and their receptors, on the role of hormones in the physiological coordination of vertebrates, and on dealing with each endocrine process in the context of the organism's physiology, ecology and evolution. Comparative Vertebrate Endocrinology discusses the intimate physiology of the endocrine system and the pivotal role of hormones in coordinating basic body processes such as nutrition, reproduction, calcium metabolism and osmoregulation, as well as their contributions to animal coloration, molting and development. The species included range from lower chordates through to mammals, including marsupials.

Imagine a future world where computers can create universes -- digital environments made from binary ones and zeros. Imagine that within these universes there exist biological forms that reproduce, grow, and think. Imagine plantlike forms, ant colonies, immune systems, and brains, all adapting, evolving, and getting better at solving problems. Imagine if our computers became greenhouses for a new kind of nature. Just think what digital biology could do for us.Perhaps it could evolve new designs for us, think up ways to detect fraud using digital neurons, or solve scheduling problems with ants. Perhaps it could detect hackers with immune systems or create music from the patterns of growth of digital seashells. Perhaps it would allow our computers to become creative and inventive.Now stop imagining.digital biology is an intriguing glimpse into the future of technology by one of the most creative thinkers working in computer science today. As Peter J. Bentley explains, the next giant step in computing technology is already under way as computer scientists attempt to create digital universes that replicate the natural world. Within these digital universes, we will evolve solutions to problems, construct digital brains that can learn and think, and use immune systems to trap and destroy computer viruses.The biological world is the model for the next generation of computer software. By adapting the principles of biology, computer scientists will make it possible for computers to function as the natural world does. In practical terms, this will mean that we will soon have "smart" devices, such as houses that will keep the temperature as we like it and automobiles that will start only for drivers they recognize (through voice recognition or other systems) and that will navigate highways safely and with maximum fuel efficiency. Computers will soon be powerful enough and small enough that they can become part of clothing. "Digital agents" will be able to help us find a bank or restaurant in a city that we have never visited before, even as we walk through the airport. Miniature robots may even be incorporated into our bodies to monitor our health. Digital Biology is also an exploration of biology itself from a new perspective. We must understand how nature works in its most intimate detail before we can use these same biological processes inside our computers. Already scientists engaged in this work have gained new insights into the elegant simplicity of the natural universe.This is a visionary book, written in accessible, nontechnical language, that explains how cutting-edge computer science will shape our world in the coming decades.

'A lucid, balanced and engaging tour of one of the most important phenomena of this century.' – Steven PinkerFrom the face recognition on your smartphone to the management of our global economy, you cannot live in the modern world without interacting with, or being impacted by, artificial intelligence and robots. But how did this happen? And what does it mean for our lives now and in the future? Is it helping to change our world for the better or creating new problems? 10 Short Lessons in Artificial Intelligence & Robotics examines these key questions and more in this essential guide to the twenty-first century’s most powerful technology.About the series: The Pocket Einstein series is a collection of essential pocket-sized guides for anyone looking to understand a little more about some of the most relevant science that affects us all in the twenty-first century. Broken down into ten simple lessons and written by leading experts in their field, discover the ten most important takeaways from those areas of science we should all know more about.

Artificial intelligence is headline news with the launch of the latest ChatGPT and Google Gemini. But when did we start making computers mimic the human mind? And what is the reality of the capabilities of AI now, and in the future?AI has always stirred emotions, and caused great excitement as well as great concern. Since the launch of large language models such as ChatGPT, the scope and capabilities of AI look set to transform our technology, in both good and bad ways. AI can help teach us how to write better or help us generate amazing artworks. But in the wrong hands, AI can create fake images and fake information that can be used to damage our societies. A new addition to the popular Bite-sized Chunks series, this expert-led book will explore how AI has developed from humble beginnings in the 1950s to today’s extraordinary AIs that have more neurons than the human brain. Focusing on specific AIs and their creators over the years, it explains the science and engineering behind each AI, discusses ethical issues and covers all the most fascinating information about one of the most important and contentious developments in human technology (including the latest on generative AI/ChatGPT), as well as what we can expect to see in the future of this field – all in short, accessible bite-sized chunks.

Artificial intelligence is headline news with the launch of the latest ChatGPT and Google Bard. But when did we start making computers mimic the human mind? And what is the reality of the capabilities of AI now, and in the future?AI has always stirred emotions, and caused great excitement as well as great concern. Since the launch of large language models such as ChatGPT, the scope and capabilities of AI look set to transform our technology, in both good and bad ways. AI can help teach us how to write better or help us generate amazing artworks. But in the wrong hands, AI can create fake images and fake information that can be used to damage our societies. A new addition to the popular Bite-sized Chunks series, this expert-led book will explore how AI has developed from humble beginnings in the 1950s to today’s extraordinary AIs that have more neurons than the human brain. Focusing on specific AIs and their creators over the years, it explains the science and engineering behind each AI, discusses ethical issues and covers all the most fascinating information about one of the most important and contentious developments in human technology (including the latest on generative AI/ChatGPT), as well as what we can expect to see in the future of this field – all in short, accessible bite-sized chunks.

TheArti?cialLifetermappearedmorethan20yearsagoinasmallcornerofNew Mexico, USA. Since then the area has developed dramatically, many researchers joining enthusiastically and research groups sprouting everywhere. This frenetic activity led to the emergence of several strands that are now established ?elds in themselves. We are now reaching a stage that one may describe as maturer: with more rigour, more benchmarks, more results, more stringent acceptance criteria, more applications, in brief, more sound science. This, which is the n- ural path of all new areas, comes at a price, however. A certain enthusiasm, a certain adventurousness from the early years is fading and may have been lost on the way. The ?eld has become more reasonable. To counterbalance this and to encourage lively discussions, a conceptual track, where papers were judged on criteria like importance and/or novelty of the concepts proposed rather than the experimental/theoretical results, has been introduced this year. A conference on a theme as broad as Arti?cial Life is bound to be very - verse,but a few tendencies emerged. First, ?elds like ‘Robotics and Autonomous Agents’ or ‘Evolutionary Computation’ are still extremely active and keep on bringing a wealth of results to the A-Life community. Even there, however, new tendencies appear, like collective robotics, and more speci?cally self-assembling robotics, which represent now a large subsection. Second, new areas appear.

TheArti?cialLifetermappearedmorethan20yearsagoinasmallcornerofNew Mexico, USA. Since then the area has developed dramatically, many researchers joining enthusiastically and research groups sprouting everywhere. This frenetic activity led to the emergence of several strands that are now established ?elds in themselves. We are now reaching a stage that one may describe as maturer: with more rigour, more benchmarks, more results, more stringent acceptance criteria, more applications, in brief, more sound science. This, which is the n- ural path of all new areas, comes at a price, however. A certain enthusiasm, a certain adventurousness from the early years is fading and may have been lost on the way. The ?eld has become more reasonable. To counterbalance this and to encourage lively discussions, a conceptual track, where papers were judged on criteria like importance and/or novelty of the concepts proposed rather than the experimental/theoretical results, has been introduced this year. A conference on a theme as broad as Arti?cial Life is bound to be very - verse,but a few tendencies emerged. First, ?elds like ‘Robotics and Autonomous Agents’ or ‘Evolutionary Computation’ are still extremely active and keep on bringing a wealth of results to the A-Life community. Even there, however, new tendencies appear, like collective robotics, and more speci?cally self-assembling robotics, which represent now a large subsection. Second, new areas appear.