title: Imitation of Life: How Biology Is Inspiring Computing (The MIT Press)
author:  Nancy Forbes 
description: Surveying scientific thinking about a postsilicon era in computing, Forbes homes in on one of the pioneering theorists of the computer, mathematician John von Neumann. In 1948 he lectured on the abstract resemblance of life's biochemical processes to computing. Today, the resemblance is no longer theoretical; Forbes highlights one scientist who has used DNA to compute a mathematical problem. That is one example, Forbes notes, of how biology is affecting computer science. Another influence is metaphorical, as researchers see in life's exquisite operations models to emulate, such that specialties have arisen to develop "evolvable hardware," "evolutionary algorithms," "nanoscale self-assembly," and security systems that mimic nature's immune systems. Touring the state of knowledge, Forbes (who has been associated with the military's technology nursery, DARPA) stakes out this scientific frontier in broad terms. Although the field's inherent complexity will deter casual readers, those with a serious interest will find Forbes an expert guide to the hottest research in a potentially revolutionary area of technology. <i>Gilbert Taylor</i><br><i>Copyright &#169; American Library Association. All rights reserved</i>
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  **Gateless**
  
  By Sebastian Marshall and Kai Zau
  
  
  Copright © 2014 Sebastian Marshall and Kai Zau
  
    
  
  All rights reserved.
  
  
    
  
    
  
    
  
    
  
    
  
    
  
    
  
    
  
  ###  **_Table of Contents_ **
  
  **Introduction**
  
  [Author's Reflection: Sebastian Marshall](text00004.html)
  
  [Author's Reflection: Kai Zau](text00005.html)
  
  **Capacity**
  
  [Theory of Capacity](text00006.html#doc225)
  
  [The Biochemical Lever](text00006.html#doc224)
  
  [The Cognitive Lever](text00006.html#doc240)
  
  [The Action Lever](text00006.html#doc262)
  
  [The Environment Lever](text00006.html#doc287)
  
  [Concluding Capacity](text00006.html#doc294)
  
    
  
  **Network**
  
  [Beyond Nodes and Graphs](text00007.html#doc39)
  
  [Character First](text00007.html#doc53)
  
  [Types of People You Need In Your Life](text00007.html#doc70)
  
  [Tools and Strategies](text00007.html#doc79)
  
    
  
  **Signal**
  
  [A 24-Hour Broadcast](text00008.html#doc92)
  
  [The Elements of Signal](text00008.html#doc93)
  
  [Tuning Your Signal](text00008.html#doc94)
  
  [Mistakes to Avoid](