Artificial Life

There are a number of labs throughout the US and around the world trying to understand just how life originated in the universe and/or on planet Earth. A number of these labs approach the question by attempting to synthesize life themselves, by using software, hardware, or chemical processes. Obviously, creating a computer program that is able to simulate the patterns of stripes on a zebra doesn't lead directly to the conclusion that mother nature is actually a computer programmer, but may shed some light on possible mechanisms for the creation of biological form and how to search for those mechanisms.

As mentioned above, there are three different types of methods used in the field of artificial life. Simulations using computer programs are referred to as "soft" artificial life, those using robotic applications are referred to as "hard" artificial life, while those using biochemistry are referred to as "wet" artificial life. While computer simulations and robots are neat-looking, the creation of synthetic life, or primitive-looking cells that could represent the ancestors of biological life, is the holy grail of Astrobiology, as well as a multitude of fields in the Life Sciences.