We report on the specification and analysis of VICE, a hypothetical cell with a genome as basic as possible. We used an enhanced version of the π-calculus and a prototype running it to study the behaviour of VICE. The results of our experimentation in silico confirm that our virtual cell “survives” in an optimal environment and shows a behaviour similar to that of real prokaryotes.

author biographies Dr. William P. Fox is a professor in the Department of Defense Analysis at the Naval Postgraduate School. He received his BS degree from the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York, his MS at the Naval Postgraduate School, and his PhD at Clemson University. Previous he has taught at the United States Military Academy and Francis Marion University, where he was ...

Abstract The epistemic virtues and vices are typically defined in terms of effects or motivations related to the states their possessors. However, philosophers have recently begun consider other-regarding virtues, traits oriented toward flourishing others. In a similar vein, this paper discusses outward-facing vices, properties languishing I argue for existence both reliabilist responsibilist i...