Introduction: What Is This Paper About?

• This paper explains how biological systems work like multi-purpose machines that perform many functions at the same time. This concept is called polycomputing.
• It challenges the old idea that only traditional computers or machines can compute by showing that living organisms use the same structures for several tasks simultaneously.
• Imagine a smartphone that acts as a camera, a map, and a computer all at once – the paper shows that nature works in a similar way.

Understanding Polycomputing

• Polycomputing is the ability of a single material or system to do more than one computation at the same time and in the same place.
• This is similar to a Swiss Army knife that uses one tool for many different jobs rather than having separate tools for each function.
• The idea applies both to natural living systems and to engineered materials in technology.

Key Concepts and Debates

• The paper argues against dividing systems strictly into computers and non-computers. Instead, it proposes that what a system “computes” depends on how it is observed.
• This observer-dependent view is like looking at a prism; depending on the angle, you see different colors from the same light.
• It encourages us to see living systems as continuously changing and overlapping in function rather than separated into fixed categories.

Examples from Biology and Engineering

• Biological Examples:
  • Cells and tissues can process multiple signals at once. For example, skin protects the body while also sensing temperature and pressure.
  • Instances such as regeneration in animals or the behavior of Xenobots (cell-based constructs that can self-assemble and move) show polycomputing in action.
• Engineering Examples:
  • Engineered materials can use vibrations to perform several logical operations simultaneously.
  • Technologies like holographic data storage and physical reservoir computing demonstrate that materials can store and process multiple types of information at the same time.

How Polycomputing Changes Our View of Computation

• Traditional computers work in a linear, step-by-step (modular) way, processing one task at a time.
• Polycomputing shows that many tasks can overlap in the same physical space, offering a more efficient and flexible approach.
• This new perspective leads us to design systems that mimic the overlapping and multifunctional nature of living organisms.

Implications for Science and Technology

• In Biology:
  • Understanding polycomputing can advance regenerative medicine by revealing how organisms naturally repair and remodel themselves.
  • It helps explain how the same cells or tissues can perform different roles simultaneously.
• In Robotics and Artificial Intelligence:
  • Building machines that can compute multiple functions in parallel could lead to smarter, more adaptable robots.
  • This integrated view may help overcome the gap between computer models and real-world performance.

Conceptual Transitions in Thinking

• The paper describes a shift from seeing processes as serial (one after the other) or strictly modular to viewing them as parallel and superposed (overlapping in time and space).
• It uses gradual transitions as an example, much like a caterpillar slowly becoming a butterfly, to show that changes in function occur continuously rather than suddenly.
• This shift requires rethinking both our scientific models and the design of new technologies.

Conclusions: The Future of Polycomputing

• Biological systems are built to be overloaded with functions, making them robust and highly adaptable.
• By adopting an observer-dependent approach, we can see and utilize the overlapping functions of natural systems in innovative ways.
• This new understanding could lead to breakthroughs in medicine, robotics, and computer engineering, as it broadens what we consider possible in computation.

Final Thoughts

• This research encourages us to break free from traditional boundaries and explore new ways of understanding the brain, the body, and machines.
• It suggests that the future of technology lies in designing systems that, like living organisms, perform many functions at once.
• Just as a single piece of clay can be shaped into many different forms, biological material can serve multiple roles simultaneously.

引言：本文讲述了什么？

• 本文解释了生物系统如何像多功能机器一样，同时执行多项任务，这一概念称为多重计算。
• 它挑战了传统上认为只有计算机或机器才能进行计算的观点，展示了生物体如何利用相同的结构完成多个任务。
• 可以把它想象成一部智能手机，既能拍照、导航，又能运算——这种多重功能在生物层面同样存在。

理解多重计算

• 多重计算是指单一材料或系统在同一地点和同一时间内执行多种不同计算或功能的能力。
• 这就像一把瑞士军刀，用一个工具完成多种工作，而不是为每个功能分别配备工具。
• 这一概念既适用于自然生物系统，也适用于工程技术中的材料和设备。

关键概念与争论

• 本文反对将系统严格分为“计算机”与“非计算机”。相反，它认为一个系统“计算”什么取决于观察者的角度。
• 这种观察者依赖的观点就像观察棱镜：从不同角度看，同一束光会呈现出不同的颜色。
• 这种观点帮助我们理解生物系统为何会表现出许多重叠的功能。

生物学与工程学的例子

• 生物学例子：
  • 细胞和组织可以同时处理多种信号，比如皮肤既能保护身体，又能感知温度和压力。
  • 动物的再生能力以及Xenobot（由细胞构成、能自组装和移动的结构）展示了多重计算的实际应用。
• 工程学例子：
  • 工程材料可以利用振动同时执行多种逻辑运算。
  • 全息数据存储和物理储层计算说明了材料如何在同一位置存储和处理多条信息。

多重计算如何改变我们对计算的看法

• 传统计算机以线性、逐步（模块化）的方式工作，一次只处理一个任务。
• 多重计算表明，多个任务可以在同一物理空间内重叠进行，从而提供更高效和灵活的处理方式。
• 这种新视角促使我们设计出模仿生物体多重功能的新系统。

科学与技术的意义

• 在生物学中：
  • 理解多重计算有助于推动再生医学的发展，因为它揭示了生物体如何自我修复和重塑。
  • 它解释了同一细胞或组织如何能同时承担不同的功能。
• 在机器人和人工智能中：
  • 制造能够同时执行多项功能的机器可能会培养出更智能、更适应环境的机器人和计算系统。
  • 这种综合视角有助于缩小理论模型与现实表现之间的差距。

思维方式的概念转变

• 本文讨论了从将过程视为串行或模块化，转变为理解为并行且叠加的观点。
• 它强调了渐进式转变，就像毛毛虫逐渐变成蝴蝶一样，功能和计算的变化是连续发生的，而非突然出现。
• 这种转变要求我们重新思考生物学研究和新技术设计的方法。

结论：多重计算的未来

• 生物系统本身就设计为能同时承担多项功能，这使它们具有极高的适应性和鲁棒性。
• 采用观察者依赖的框架，使我们能够识别和利用这些重叠功能，从而为医学、机器人和计算工程带来创新应用。
• 这种新认识将推动我们重新审视计算、学习和适应的本质，无论是在生物系统还是人工系统中。

最终思考

• 这项研究鼓励我们打破传统界限，探索有关大脑、身体和机器的新思维方式。
• 它表明未来技术的发展可能依赖于设计出像生物体那样同时执行多项功能的系统。
• 正如一块粘土可以塑造成多种形态，生物材料也可以在同一时间内发挥多重作用。