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computer science: Robot Can independently investigate the nature?

computer science: Robot Can independently investigate the nature? The prototypes
Adam and Eve are demonstrating how machines work scientifically

From: Scientific American, March 2011

Is it possible to build a robot scientist, wins the new findings? Such adaptive, control with artificial intelligence machine has lined the entire research process: He is testing hypotheses, by independently designed and conducted experiments, interpreted the results and repeat this cycle until he meets with new knowledge.

In the March issue spectrum of the science presented to the computer scientist Ross D. King of the Aberystwyth University in Wales, a system that is all that can. The robot is Adam, but looks very unlike a man: Adam is an automated laboratory the size of a small office room. The equipment includes, among other things, a refrigerator, devices for manipulating fluids, robot arms, incubators and centrifuges - automates everything. Of course, Adam also has a powerful computer brain that runs the circuit and controls the single computer for hardware control.

examined the research robot how to grow single-celled microorganisms, by stating that Microbial strains and nutrients, and then selects a number of days observed as the cultures grow. The robot can per day about a thousand such trials set in motion. In this way an important and well researched Adam automatable in biology, functional genomics. It examines the relationship between genes and their function.

In fact Adam was a previously unknown relationship between the three genes of the yeast and a specific enzyme. But we must therefore call Adam the same as a scientist? The machine is a prototype, and again engage a technician to fix bugs in hardware and software. Also working the software modules are not without human assistance problem together. Still, Adams approach to form hypotheses and confirm experimentally new knowledge, no intellectual or physical effort required on the part of man. In this sense, it operates autonomously.

Kings team, meanwhile, has built a second robot: Eve applies the same automated research programs, such as Adam, but this time on developing and testing drugs. Eva's research focuses on tropical diseases like malaria and sleeping sickness. Adams Auto colleague has already found some interesting links that seem to work against malaria. King is convinced that with the progress of computer technology and artificial intelligence researchers getting a lot smarter robot will be created.

Whether they ever led to revolutionary insights or only a routine research to be able to be is a basic question about the future of science. Some researchers think through automation was not a scientific revolution to achieve. Others say in a hundred years would be the best physicists to be a machine. The future will show who is right.