The first scientific theory postulated by a computer

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One of biology's biggest mysteries – how a bisected flatworm regenerates into new organisms – has been solved by a computer without human help. This is the first time in history that artificial intelligence managed to postulate a new scientific theory unassisted.

The computer has established the core genetic network which explains how the regeneration takes place.

The study by Daniel Lobo and Michael Levin was published by the science journal PLOS.

- It's not just statistics or number-crunching. The invention of models to explain what nature is doing is the most creative thing scientists do. This is the heart and soul of the scientific enterprise. None of us could have come up with this model; we, as a field, have failed to do so after over a century of effort – said Levin.

Although the computer took only three days to come up with the theory, it took the scientist two years to develop the program. - This problem, and our approach, is nearly universal. It can be used with anything, where functional data exist but the underlying mechanism is hard to guess – explained Levin.

Lobo and Levin believe that the results will enable a better understanding of the metastasis which enables the cancer to spread throughout the body.