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ENZYMES, amino acids and genes are not normally in the computer geek’s vernacular. But that could all change with the start of the next revolution in computer hardware and software-which some scientists say could be a biological one.

The aim is to produce self-managing, self-repairing computers that become smarter by continually evolving their own intelligence centres. They could even end up smarter than their designers.

But why emulate biology to produce more intelligent computers? Computer scientists are beginning to realise that if they want to produce computers anywhere near as complex as the human brain, then copying biology is their…

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