Stanford Seminar - Lenia- Biology of Artificial Life, Bert Wang-Chak Chan

This seminar introduces artificial life through computer simulations, focusing on Lenia, a continuous cellular automaton that produces self-organizing patterns resembling microscopic organisms. It examines these patterns through evolution, classification, ecology, morphology, behavior, and statistical analysis while considering connections to biological life and artificial intelligence.

Syllabus

Introduction.
Computer Simulations.
The Beginnings.
Game of Life.
Software Engineering.
Data Flow.
Studying Alien Life.
Evolution (Create patterns)..
Physics (Space-time properties).
Taxonomy (Classification).
Ecology (Distribution).
Morphology (Structures).
Behavior (Dynamics).
Morphometrics (Statistics).
Discrete vs Continuous.
Lenia & Earth Life.
What is Life?.
Future Directions.
ALife Community.