Darwin among the machines: The evolution of global intelligence. Transl. from the American by Friedrich Griese (Q5947998)

The subtitle, ``the evolution of global intelligence'', reflects, what the main questions are that are discussed in this book: the author deals with basic foundational topics of artificial intelligence, such as: Is artificial life possible? Can artificial creatures exhibit intelligent behaviour? What are prerequisites for intelligent behaviour? On what level of evolution does intelligence appear? Even more general: How is life possible? What are the origins of life on earth? And finally: Is it possible that evolution produces a life form that is not based on metabolism (``machines'', so to speak), but has the ability to reproduce itself? The point of view taken in most parts of the book is a historical one. The author discusses writings of Thomas Hobbes (``Leviathan''), Samuel Butler (``Darwin Among the Machines''), Alan Turing (``On Computable Numbers''), John von Neumann (``Theory of Self-Reproducing Automata''), George Boole (``An Investigation of the Laws of Thought''), and many others. As can be seen from these references, besides philosophical questions, also aspects of mathematical logic and computability theory are touched. The book contains an extensive list of notes and references as well as a long index.