11th June 2010, 1:28 AM
http://biology.kenyon.edu/slonc/bio3/AI/..._algo.html
There's a lot of interesting stuff here. The main part of the article is genetic algorythms. That's interesting all on it's own, but the real interesting thing is the new sort of chip called a field programmable gate array. Apparently this allows the actual locations of all the transistors and how they react to be altered via software. There's a lot of nice uses for this, namely the idea that any single piece of software can modify this chip into a specialized piece of hardware dedicated JUST to running that program. That alone is interesting, but what really gets me is the implication that such a chip could do away with the need to ever "emulate" via software again. With the right "profiles", these chips, of the right level of complexity, can be converted into perfect circuit level replicas of, say, a Super Nintendo, or an Apple II. I'm certainly paying attention to this little development.
I should point out that this is the LEAST important aspect of this little engieering project. It touches everything from genetic algorythms to genetic algorythms set up to make a better GENETIC ALGORYTHM to possible AI design to bizarre programming solutions to the way it's set up to actually use all available physical properties of the chip, not "just" the digital aspects of the logic gates, to reach a solution in very weird ways. It is the omni-article, touching all creation. I hear they're going to try and evolve an Adrian Brody.
There's a lot of interesting stuff here. The main part of the article is genetic algorythms. That's interesting all on it's own, but the real interesting thing is the new sort of chip called a field programmable gate array. Apparently this allows the actual locations of all the transistors and how they react to be altered via software. There's a lot of nice uses for this, namely the idea that any single piece of software can modify this chip into a specialized piece of hardware dedicated JUST to running that program. That alone is interesting, but what really gets me is the implication that such a chip could do away with the need to ever "emulate" via software again. With the right "profiles", these chips, of the right level of complexity, can be converted into perfect circuit level replicas of, say, a Super Nintendo, or an Apple II. I'm certainly paying attention to this little development.
I should point out that this is the LEAST important aspect of this little engieering project. It touches everything from genetic algorythms to genetic algorythms set up to make a better GENETIC ALGORYTHM to possible AI design to bizarre programming solutions to the way it's set up to actually use all available physical properties of the chip, not "just" the digital aspects of the logic gates, to reach a solution in very weird ways. It is the omni-article, touching all creation. I hear they're going to try and evolve an Adrian Brody.