Malicious Life

Ghost In The Machine

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Jun 28, 2017
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ANECDOTE

Creeper and Reaper

  • Bob Thomas created a program called "Creeper" that could copy itself between computers.
  • Ray Tomlinson then created "Reaper," which erased "Creeper" whenever it found it.
ANECDOTE

BBN Virus Rumor

  • Alexander Dewdney heard a rumor about a self-replicating program at BBN.
  • It supposedly caused so many copies that another program had to be created to destroy it.
INSIGHT

Core War Inspiration

  • Despite doubting the rumor's truth, Dewdney found the concept of battling software intriguing.
  • This inspired him to create Core War, a game where programs fight for memory space.
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