Path: csiph.com!usenet.pasdenom.info!weretis.net!feeder1.news.weretis.net!feeder.erje.net!eu.feeder.erje.net!newsfeed.xs4all.nl!newsfeed2.news.xs4all.nl!xs4all!post.news.xs4all.nl!not-for-mail Return-Path: X-Original-To: python-list@python.org Delivered-To: python-list@mail.python.org X-Spam-Status: OK 0.005 X-Spam-Evidence: '*H*': 0.99; '*S*': 0.00; 'string.': 0.04; 'interpreter.': 0.07; 'received:64.202.165': 0.07; 'python': 0.09; '22,': 0.09; 'implemented.': 0.09; 'indeed,': 0.09; 'portable': 0.09; 'programs.': 0.11; 'thread': 0.11; 'suggest': 0.11; 'fitness': 0.13; 'loops': 0.16; 'subject:programmer': 0.16; 'threads': 0.16; 'string': 0.17; 'wrote:': 0.17; 'basically': 0.17; 'feb': 0.19; 'amounts': 0.22; 'seems': 0.23; 'pass': 0.25; 'header:In-Reply-To:1': 0.25; 'header:User-Agent:1': 0.26; 'am,': 0.27; "doesn't": 0.28; 'chris': 0.28; 'fine': 0.28; 'though.': 0.29; 'probably': 0.29; "i'm": 0.29; 'fri,': 0.30; 'function': 0.30; 'running': 0.32; 'getting': 0.33; 'curious': 0.33; 'impression': 0.33; 'to:addr:python-list': 0.33; 'program,': 0.34; 'richard': 0.35; 'pm,': 0.35; 'there': 0.35; 'really': 0.36; 'but': 0.36; 'generation': 0.36; 'useful': 0.36; 'anything': 0.36; 'rather': 0.37; 'subject:: ': 0.38; 'some': 0.38; 'several': 0.39; 'to:addr:python.org': 0.39; 'step': 0.39; 'subject:-': 0.40; 'deals': 0.62; 'between': 0.63; 'more': 0.63; 'header:Reply-To:1': 0.68; 'computers': 0.69; 'reply-to:no real name:2**0': 0.72; 'url:2011': 0.72; 'goal': 0.74; '2013': 0.84; 'gap': 0.84; 'period.': 0.95 Date: Fri, 22 Feb 2013 12:09:57 +0000 From: Andrew Robinson User-Agent: Mozilla/5.0 (X11; Linux i686; rv:15.0) Gecko/20120909 Thunderbird/15.0.1 MIME-Version: 1.0 To: python-list@python.org Subject: Re: FYI: AI-programmer References: <4CACF5BFEFC24638A0D8007921722FB8@dev.null> In-Reply-To: Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-BeenThere: python-list@python.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.15 Precedence: list Reply-To: andrew3@r3dsolutions.com List-Id: General discussion list for the Python programming language List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , Newsgroups: comp.lang.python Message-ID: Lines: 25 NNTP-Posting-Host: 2001:888:2000:d::a6 X-Trace: 1361563926 news.xs4all.nl 6972 [2001:888:2000:d::a6]:48877 X-Complaints-To: abuse@xs4all.nl Xref: csiph.com comp.lang.python:39609 On 02/22/2013 07:21 PM, Ian Kelly wrote: > On Fri, Feb 22, 2013 at 4:41 AM, Chris Angelico wrote: >> That's not artificial intelligence, though. It's artificial program >> generation based on a known target output. The "Fitness" calculation >> is based on a specific target string. This is fine for devising a >> program that will produce the entire works of Shakespeare, since there >> is a target string for that (actually, several targets, plus you have >> to work out whether you want the works of Shakespeare or the works of >> some guy named Bacon... mmm bacon), but I suggest that a more >> sophisticated and useful goal be implemented. > Indeed, it seems to me that this is basically Richard Dawkins' weasel > program, with the addition of a transformation step in the fitness > function that amounts to running the string through a Brainfuck > interpreter. There is a rather large gap between this and getting > computers to generate programs that do anything interesting. > > I am curious about how he deals with infinite loops in the generated > programs. Probably he just kills the threads after they pass some > time threshold? I'm under the impression that Python doesn't really allow you to kill a thread after a time period. It's not portable to do so.... http://eli.thegreenplace.net/2011/08/22/how-not-to-set-a-timeout-on-a-computation-in-python/