Real, living robots?

Question

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azPWJiKWd0U

Please watch this video. This is not a real person. This is a robot that Japanese people have produced.

It is very realistic. But even so, it still is not "alive".
What do you think makes things "live"?
Is this something encoded in our genes before we are born?
Or do we gain conscience from something else, say, god or something later?

If we find out what living and conscience is, could we encode it software wise into robots to make them living too?

Do you think we will ever be so advanced, the computers can decrypt an entire cell & tell us exactly what a person will look like upon reaching adulthood based on the genetic coding built into the cell reguarding living, growing, becoming an adult?

Imagine if we can record our life force to use after we die in another mind or something, reprogram it back?

Answers, anyone?

Answer 1

That was very interesting. So are the other videos in the same page. Thanks.

We are information.
Definitely the “live” appearance is the result of encoding. Therefore, if we can decrypt genes we will be able to foretell what a newborn will be like in adulthood. We are not that far.
By now, a great deal has been done during last decade. We have an idea of correlation between certain diseases and some genes or, at least, some segments of chromosomes.

What makes something to LOOK alive or like a real living thing is nothing but attention to detail: subtle muscle movement and gestures, etc. And a lot of imperfections. That’s why computer rendered models still seem so unreal: too perfect to be believable.

I couldn’t understand this idiom “life force” (sorry).
______________
What makes us alive... I... don´t know.
I agree with Leviathan in that DNA is but a recipe.

Answer 2

What makes us alive is our consciousness emerging from the physical properties of our brain.

Computers will give us an idea what someone will look like but its not all DNA, thats just a recipe, 'dishes' come out of the oven differently - nurture, upbringing and nutrition are all factors.

There is no need for any supernatural intervention. The laws of physics don't require or indeed admit 'miracles'.

We don't have 'life force'. The idea of an animating life force was disproven well over a century ago. Read Frankenstein, its right up your alley.