PC Virus, is it a living thing?

[tyger_claw]

Since the beginning of this tread, people have said that biological viruses are not living, but a compound of chemicals....

Really?!? Check this site and say that again?
Here

I like how Kezil puts it, how a virii can lose some of it's code and have to function without it (if possible) thus making a type of evolution.

could even have come from life (a little mistake in duplication, just like a simple mistake in programming)

[tyger_claw]

A given virus is designed to infect a given type of cell. There are even viruses that infect bacteria

~from above site

Same as a computer virus, some are designated to infect only certain things (ie: .exe, .dll, .doc) or only on certain platforms/os....

[Kezil]

very interesting encyclopedia:
http://www.wikipedia.com/wiki/Biology
this link goes to the page on Biology, and near the bottom it mentions something interesting about viruses, viroids, and prions

that's not the least of it:
*you can read it in the conlang (constructed language) Esperanto (as well as a few others) which was meant as an auxiliary language so the different European languages could have a common, easy to learn for all, language. Unfortunately, it was never widely adapted outside of the conlang community, but it still has (I believe) over at least 10,000 users
*It uses the GNU Free Documentation license, and you can submit articles whereever you see a word with a ? link next to it under this license. Here's the page for parasite from the bio page: http://www.wikipedia.com/wiki/parasites&action=edit

very interesting, have to remember this site...

[Kezil]

I've actually done research on the nature of viruses before, as one of my current projects (out of way to many to keep track of) is to find a way to defeat the AIDS/HIV virus. Ambitious yes, but still a great learning experience. Get along with your teachers, know how to research, and you can learn many things....

[tyger_claw]

duh? That's a lot of info as well...

Until we come to an agreement with either a bio virus is alive or not, we will continue to argue if a pc virii is alive or not

From Here

Viruses are somewhere between being living and non-living. They can reproduce and show inheritance, but are reliant on the complex enzymes of their hosts, and in many ways can be treated like ordinary molecules (for instance, they can be crystalized).

And with this argument...

From Here

A computer virus is a piece of program code that, like a biological virus, makes copies of itself and spreads by attaching itself to a host, often damaging the host in the process

If the discussion turns out that everyone accepts that a bio virus is alive, then we have to lead towards the idea that a pc virii is also alive (in a form)

[falde]

Some say that computers cannot contain life is based on DNA. Just assuming that life would be DNA will bring an interesting topic.

The very core of the IBM Blue Gene project is to find out (trough simulation) how DNA reproduces, a process known as “Protein Folding”. This are expected to be completed before 2010.

When we can simulate the DNA reproduction process we are not far from simulating an entire cell, with every chemical process involved.

Is such a simulated cell alive or not?

[mairu]

i totally agree with cwk9

[Kezil]

hmm...if it is determined that a virus (computer or otherwise) IS alive, I wonder how the far out-there environmentalists would react.

I can just imagine a group of them outside congress with signs protesting antivirus software and vaccines...
(though maybe congress should be Norton?)

[tyger_claw]

I could see it now....

Signs saying:

-Melissa.2312 has feelings too
-Killing Viruses, It's like killing Humans!
-Mother Nature loves Virueses
-Removing viruses will effect the eco system

[Noia]

Ok the Definiton of Life is:
* Must move on it's own Accord.
* Must be able to Take in Nutrient's
* Must Grow
* Must be able to Reproduce

I think that's all, correct me if I'm wrrong. Taken in perspective, A Virus is not really Alive, and Neither is a Computer Virus, cos they Don't feed, and they don't reproduce, (Sexualy or Asexualy), they Duplicate, and not through Mitosis, but by using another cell as a Xerox...
- Noia