Customer Reviews

Computer Viruses, Artificial Life and Evolution: The Little Black Book of Computer Viruses

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A great discussion of evolution - the author takes us through the basics of evolution, and the arguments for and against it, and how this all might apply to computer viruses. Also has an interesting virus designed to emulate Darwinian evolution.

Have you ever wondered if the theory if evolution is true? Evolution has passed into scientific doctrine, not because there is overwhelming evidence, but simply because there is no alternative. And yet, evolution seems to propose the impossible, that life could spontaneously appear from the random interaction of chemicals, and that the simplest single celled organism could, through mutation, transform itself into something as astoundingly complex as a human being. This book examines evolution using powerful new insights gained from the study of computer viruses and other artifical life programs. Computer viruses reproduce, mutate, are killed, become extinct, or prospher in much the same way as organic live forms. This book does not propose any alternative theory to evolution. It does, however, confront the reader with some impossible aspects of its fundamental principles. Even if we don't have any alternative but to believe in evolution, we should still approach that belief with all the caution we would give a theory that had many viable alternatives.

An excellent discussion on what life is, evolution, and how it all may apply to computer viruses and what we may learn from them. I would recommend all books on computer viruses by Dr. Ludwig.

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