artificial life

a research area of artificial intelligence in which computer-based systems exhibit behavioral characteristics of living systems. Often constructed using cellular automata, these systems fall into three categories depending on the approach: software (simulators), hardware (robotics), and wetware (synthetic DNA). This research area often attempts to simulate the effects of communication and other society-based skills on survival.

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Psychology term of the day

January 31st 2025

Kretschmer typology

a controversial classification of individuals based on a “clear biological affinity” between specific physiques and specific personality tendencies. According to this classification, the short, stocky pyknic type tends to be jovial and subject to mood swings; the frail asthenic type is likely to be introversive and sensitive; the muscular athletic type is usually energetic and aggressive; and the disproportioned dysplastic type presents a combination of traits but tends toward the asthenic. These tendencies were attributed to endocrine secretions. [formulated in the 1920s by German psychiatrist Ernst Kretschmer (1888–1964)]