{{:people:james_vickers:alife_researcher_pres.pdf|Researcher presentation}}

Researcher: Steve Grand (born 1958 - NOT the country singer, haha)

Quick notables:

 - Self-taught computer scientist, according the NYT article on him.  Works alone almost exclusively or with his wife.

 - //Creatures// game, which is sort of an artificial life simulation where players raise and 'teach' virtual organisms kind of like pets.  This game is/was very popular and looks pretty legit.

 - //Lucy the Android//, a project in which Grand made a small robot to simulate a baby orang-utan ("Lucy").  He wrote a book on this subject, called "Growing up with Lucy".  Project sounds awesome, pictures of the robot are downright creepy, though (and not in a "cute robot" way - more of an Exorcism way)

 - //Sim-biosis//, a simulation game where users can build alife from small units (think Legos).  Code project is on SourceForge.

 - //Creation: Life and how to make it//, book published in 2001

 - Gave a TEDx talk entitled "What is the secret of consciousness?".  Date of talk currently not known.