SELF‐REPRODUCTION AND CHAIN REACTIONS Available to Purchase

In this paper a distinction is drawn between self‐reproduction and chain reactions that demonstrates that while the two processes are similar in some respects there is an important difference between them and that the two should not be confused. It is argued that this difference lies in the conditions required for the initiation of the processes. The necessary and sufficient conditions for the initiation of self‐reproduction are found in a mechanism that is an integral part of an object, but in chain reactions these conditions are found in the environment.