2006-09-20 22:26:16 · 8 answers · asked by mlh 2 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Biology
A living thing is something that can survive and propagate within an environment and without assistance. A cell has millions of atoms in its DNA structure, but even the simplest viruses have around 40,000 atoms and are considered alive by biologists. Most of the time, the definition of "life" depends on the speaker.
Can a computer virus (CV) be considered alive? That depends on the definition. Some would say that a CV is not because it can't survive outside of a computer, to which I say a virus or human can't survive outside the Earth.
Some say a virus cannot appear by itself, that it needs a human to "create" one; computer scientists have shown that CVs *can* occur randomly in computers if the circumstances are right (eg. electrical surge, poor programming that overwrites a memory location and changes the action of the code). For a CV to appear may not require human intervention.
Some might argue that CVs don't reproduce, they just copy. So do some species of lizard that have only females (there are no males) and reproduce perfect clones of themselves. Others have shown that some CVs can alter their own code (rearranging instructions, for example), much like mutating DNA.
The argument of whether a computer virus is "alive" is as tenuous and nebulous as that of artificial intelligence being capable of "thought". Whether either is true is strictly a matter of opinion, but for the sake of rational argument, assume that both are false until proven.
2006-09-20 22:56:33 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
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2016-08-26 06:09:27 · answer #2 · answered by ? 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
A cell is alive because it is capable of making copies of itself (reproducing) and surviving on its own when all the essential nutrients are provided.
A computer virus is just a computer program and is as dead as your computer. The way it infects other programs is similar to the way biological viruses attack and infect living cells.
2006-09-20 22:34:38 · answer #3 · answered by mad g 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
A cell is alive because it is a living organism. It affects your body and how if functions. A computer virus also affects the computer by interfering in its functions. It affects how it operates.
2006-09-20 22:29:59 · answer #4 · answered by cocoafellapb 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No. A computer virus isn't alive. It was so named because of the way it is said to "invade and infect" a computer causing it to function improperly.
2006-09-20 22:29:27 · answer #5 · answered by Ray 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
A cell is capable of metabolism, homeostasis, growth and reproduction.
A computer virus is not capable of any of these.
2006-09-20 22:31:11 · answer #6 · answered by S h ä r k G û m b ò 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It is just a figure of speech.
2006-09-20 22:34:44 · answer #7 · answered by no nickname 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
how did living matter come from non living?
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2006-09-20 22:27:42 · answer #8 · answered by Gingerbread Man 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋