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Article: Hawking says computer virus is form of life
- Article from:
- The Independent (London, England)
- Article date:
- August 4, 1994
- Author:
CopyrightCopyright 1994 The Independent - London. Provided by ProQuest LLC. (Hide copyright information)
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COMPUTER viruses should be treated as a life form, Stephen
Hawking, the British physicist and leading theorist on the origins
of the Universe, has told an audience of computer enthusiasts in
the United States.
In a speech on the nature of life, Professor Hawking said
computer viruses fit standard definitions of living systems, even
though they have no metabolism of their own. The computer virus
exploits the metabolism of the host computer it infects, and
becomes a parasite. This parasitic existence is a key
characteristic of biological viruses, as is the ability to
replicate only inside the cells of a living host.
"I think computer viruses should count as life," Professor
Hawking told the ...