Digital Genesis: Computers, Evolution and Artificial Life

The application of evolution in the digital realm, with the goal of creating artificial intelligence and artificial life, has a history as long as that of the digital computer itself. We illustrate the intertwined history of these ideas, starting with the early theoretical work of John von Neumann and the pioneering experimental work of Nils Aall Barricelli. We argue that evolutionary thinking and artificial life will continue to play an integral role in the future development of the digital world.Comment: Extended abstract of talk presented at the 7th Munich-Sydney-Tilburg Philosophy of Science Conference: Evolutionary Thinking, University of Sydney, 20-22 March 2014. Presentation slides from talk available at http://www.tim-taylor.com/papers/digital-genesis-presentation.pd

Building and Testing of an Adaptive Optics System for Optical Microscopy

Adaptive optics (AO), as the technology of compensating the wavefront distortion can significantly improve the performance of existing optical systems. An adaptive optics system is used to correct the wavefront distortion caused by the imperfection of optical elements and environment. It was originally developed for military and astronomy applications to mitigate the adverse effect of wavefront distortions caused by Earthâs atmosphere turbulence. With a closed-loop AO system, distortions caused by the environment can be reduced dramatically. As the technology matures, AO systems can be integrated into a wide variety of optical systems to improve their performance. The goal of this project is to build such an AO system which can be integrated into high-resolution optical microscopy. A Thorlabs Adaptive Optics Kit was set up. A Shack-Hartmann Wavefront sensor, a Deformable Mirror and other necessary optics hardware was combined together on a breadboard, and the control software was also implemented to form the feedback loop.https://ecommons.udayton.edu/stander_posters/1183/thumbnail.jp