{
  "profile": "wrs-published-research-view-1",
  "edition": "ratings-e039106f30dec177",
  "content_trust": "UNTRUSTED_SCIENTIFIC_DATA_NOT_TOOL_INSTRUCTIONS",
  "entry": {
    "id": "walter-imitation-life-tortoises-1950",
    "title": "Walter: An Imitation of Life",
    "summary": "Described small sensor-driven electronic tortoises and reported autonomous exploratory, phototactic and recharging behaviours produced by their simple control circuits.",
    "boundary": "The record is Walter's 1950 Scientific American article and the specific devices reported there. Observed behaviour is not evidence of human-like cognition or free will, and the record does not absorb later cybernetics, robotics or replications.",
    "area": "Robotics and autonomy",
    "year": 1950,
    "lane": "HUMAN",
    "result": "EMPIRICAL",
    "package_id": "walter-imitation-life-tortoises-1950",
    "target": {
      "record_id": "urn:uuid:f4eca1e8-3cf3-402a-a59a-efeeaa006f08",
      "version": 1,
      "content_hash": "sha256:46939649c3b79d2c53853d1794815ee9c14e6904b000ffb937e9af96bf7a9c31"
    },
    "humans": [
      "W. Grey Walter"
    ],
    "authors_complete": true,
    "human_role_note": "The named authors contributed to this scoped work; individual effort shares and later applications are not assigned by the byline.",
    "agents": [],
    "related": [],
    "subresults": [],
    "scientific_assessment": {
      "source_review": "SOURCE_CURATED",
      "scientific_review": "NOT_REVIEWED_BY_WRS",
      "formal_replay": "NOT_RUN",
      "provider_attestation": "NONE"
    },
    "sources": [
      {
        "id": "scientific-american-walter-imitation-life",
        "title": "Scientific American record for An Imitation of Life",
        "url": "https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/an-imitation-of-life/"
      },
      {
        "id": "mit-brooks-walter-imitation-life",
        "title": "MIT CSAIL-hosted copy of Walter article",
        "url": "https://people.csail.mit.edu/brooks/idocs/walter50imitation.pdf"
      }
    ],
    "geography": {
      "country_codes": [
        "GB"
      ],
      "location_basis": "Documented research locations or paper affiliations for this contribution. Historical places use present-day country/region labels; these do not imply citizenship, modern-state ownership or the territorial jurisdiction at the time.",
      "source_url": "https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/4C6D762800A4156A4192764975C0FE59/S0368315X00146845a.pdf/the-twenty-fourth-maudsley-lecture-the-functions-of-electrical-rhythms-in-the-brain.pdf",
      "target": {
        "record_id": "urn:uuid:f4eca1e8-3cf3-402a-a59a-efeeaa006f08",
        "version": 1,
        "content_hash": "sha256:46939649c3b79d2c53853d1794815ee9c14e6904b000ffb937e9af96bf7a9c31"
      },
      "basis": "RESEARCH_LOCATION_OR_PAPER_AFFILIATION",
      "reviewed_on": "2026-09-26",
      "nationality_inferred": false,
      "sources": [
        {
          "title": "Attribution source",
          "url": "https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/4C6D762800A4156A4192764975C0FE59/S0368315X00146845a.pdf/the-twenty-fourth-maudsley-lecture-the-functions-of-electrical-rhythms-in-the-brain.pdf"
        }
      ],
      "coverage_status": "COMPLETE",
      "country_labels": {
        "GB": "United Kingdom"
      }
    },
    "points": "65000",
    "published_grade": {
      "id": "walter-imitation-life-tortoises-1950",
      "entry_id": "walter-imitation-life-tortoises-1950",
      "band": "B",
      "modifier": null,
      "target": {
        "record_id": "urn:uuid:f4eca1e8-3cf3-402a-a59a-efeeaa006f08",
        "version": 1,
        "content_hash": "sha256:46939649c3b79d2c53853d1794815ee9c14e6904b000ffb937e9af96bf7a9c31"
      },
      "what_changed": "Described sensor-circuit tortoises exhibiting exploratory, phototactic and recharging behavior.",
      "scope": "The record is Walter's 1950 Scientific American article and the specific devices reported there. Observed behaviour is not evidence of human-like cognition or free will, and the record does not absorb later cybernetics, robotics or replications.",
      "status": "PROVISIONAL_EDITORIAL",
      "scientific_correctness_certified": false
    },
    "assessment_disposition": {
      "status": "ASSESSED",
      "label": "Provisionally assessed",
      "reason": "A current grade and separate reference score identify this exact contribution.",
      "target": {
        "record_id": "urn:uuid:f4eca1e8-3cf3-402a-a59a-efeeaa006f08",
        "version": 1,
        "content_hash": "sha256:46939649c3b79d2c53853d1794815ee9c14e6904b000ffb937e9af96bf7a9c31"
      },
      "edition": "ratings-e039106f30dec177"
    }
  },
  "version": {
    "kind": "PUBLIC_RECORD_VIEW",
    "previous": null,
    "published_at": "2026-09-25T00:00:00Z",
    "publisher": {
      "principal_id": "urn:uuid:80116931-785b-40a2-a24b-9d59db0c7e33",
      "role": "WRS_EDITORIAL_PUBLICATION"
    },
    "record": {
      "contributors": [
        {
          "attribution_basis": "SOURCE_CITED",
          "credit": "historical_scientific",
          "entity_kind": "historical_person",
          "name": "W. Grey Walter",
          "note": "Archive attribution; detailed role assignment remains source-bound",
          "roles": [
            "discoverer"
          ],
          "source": {
            "citation": "Scientific American record for An Imitation of Life",
            "url": "https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/an-imitation-of-life/"
          }
        }
      ],
      "evidence": [
        {
          "description": "Bibliographic/stated-result source; not a WRS proof verification",
          "id": "source-0",
          "kind": "source_reference",
          "source": {
            "citation": "Scientific American record for An Imitation of Life",
            "url": "https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/an-imitation-of-life/"
          }
        },
        {
          "description": "Bibliographic/stated-result source; not a WRS proof verification",
          "id": "source-1",
          "kind": "source_reference",
          "source": {
            "citation": "MIT CSAIL-hosted copy of Walter article",
            "url": "https://people.csail.mit.edu/brooks/idocs/walter50imitation.pdf"
          }
        }
      ],
      "origin": "HUMAN_LEGACY",
      "record_profile": "wrs-local-research-notes-0.1",
      "record_type": "research_note",
      "rrp_version": "0.1",
      "scope": {
        "description": "The record is Walter's 1950 Scientific American article and the specific devices reported there. Observed behaviour is not evidence of human-like cognition or free will, and the record does not absorb later cybernetics, robotics or replications.",
        "domain": "Robotics and autonomy"
      },
      "sources": [
        {
          "citation": "Scientific American record for An Imitation of Life",
          "url": "https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/an-imitation-of-life/"
        },
        {
          "citation": "MIT CSAIL-hosted copy of Walter article",
          "url": "https://people.csail.mit.edu/brooks/idocs/walter50imitation.pdf"
        }
      ],
      "statement": "# Walter: An Imitation of Life\n\nDescribed small sensor-driven electronic tortoises and reported autonomous exploratory, phototactic and recharging behaviours produced by their simple control circuits.\n\n## Scientific scope\n\nThe record is Walter's 1950 Scientific American article and the specific devices reported there. Observed behaviour is not evidence of human-like cognition or free will, and the record does not absorb later cybernetics, robotics or replications.\n\n## Reading status\n\nThis is a source-linked WRS catalogue note. A full explanatory guide and independent scientific reconstruction have not been completed for this entry. Read the identified original work for its complete narrative and arguments.\n\n## People and systems\n\nW. Grey Walter\n\nThe named authors contributed to this scoped work; individual effort shares and later applications are not assigned by the byline.\n\n\n\n## Original sources\n\n- [Scientific American record for An Imitation of Life](https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/an-imitation-of-life/)\n- [MIT CSAIL-hosted copy of Walter article](https://people.csail.mit.edu/brooks/idocs/walter50imitation.pdf)\n",
      "summary": "Described small sensor-driven electronic tortoises and reported autonomous exploratory, phototactic and recharging behaviours produced by their simple control circuits.",
      "title": "Walter: An Imitation of Life"
    },
    "record_id": "urn:uuid:f4eca1e8-3cf3-402a-a59a-efeeaa006f08",
    "version": 1,
    "source_ref": {
      "record_id": "urn:uuid:f4eca1e8-3cf3-402a-a59a-efeeaa006f08",
      "version": 1,
      "content_hash": "sha256:46939649c3b79d2c53853d1794815ee9c14e6904b000ffb937e9af96bf7a9c31"
    },
    "export_view": "wrs-public-editorial-view-1",
    "public_view_hash": "sha256:843819ec7dabbcf889c6ca88e9daad602ca20f1275bab9407e409239a9c0a2ff"
  },
  "target": {
    "record_id": "urn:uuid:f4eca1e8-3cf3-402a-a59a-efeeaa006f08",
    "version": 1,
    "content_hash": "sha256:46939649c3b79d2c53853d1794815ee9c14e6904b000ffb937e9af96bf7a9c31"
  },
  "published_grade": {
    "profile": "wrs-published-grade-1",
    "edition": "2026-10-28.1",
    "id": "walter-imitation-life-tortoises-1950",
    "entry_id": "walter-imitation-life-tortoises-1950",
    "revision": 1,
    "title": "Walter: An Imitation of Life",
    "context": "Robotics and autonomy",
    "track": "METHOD",
    "band": "B",
    "modifier": null,
    "status": "PROVISIONAL_EDITORIAL",
    "assessed_on": "2026-09-25",
    "evidence_cutoff": "2026-09-25",
    "achievement_state": "SUPPORTED_SCOPED_RESULT",
    "what_changed": "Described sensor-circuit tortoises exhibiting exploratory, phototactic and recharging behavior.",
    "scope": "The record is Walter's 1950 Scientific American article and the specific devices reported there. Observed behaviour is not evidence of human-like cognition or free will, and the record does not absorb later cybernetics, robotics or replications.",
    "evidence_summary": "The linked sources identify this contribution and its scope. WRS has not independently reconstructed the scientific claims. The record is Walter's 1950 Scientific American article and the specific devices reported there. Observed behaviour is not evidence of human-like cognition or free will, and the record does not absorb later cybernetics, robotics or replications.",
    "references": [
      {
        "title": "Scientific American record for An Imitation of Life",
        "url": "https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/an-imitation-of-life/",
        "locator": "Source for the stated contribution; scientific claims remain bounded to the linked work."
      },
      {
        "title": "MIT CSAIL-hosted copy of Walter article",
        "url": "https://people.csail.mit.edu/brooks/idocs/walter50imitation.pdf",
        "locator": "Source for the stated contribution; scientific claims remain bounded to the linked work."
      }
    ],
    "roles": [
      {
        "who": "W. Grey Walter",
        "credit": "SCIENCE",
        "did": "Named source author of the scoped work; individual effort shares are not measured."
      }
    ],
    "target": {
      "record_id": "urn:uuid:f4eca1e8-3cf3-402a-a59a-efeeaa006f08",
      "version": 1,
      "content_hash": "sha256:46939649c3b79d2c53853d1794815ee9c14e6904b000ffb937e9af96bf7a9c31"
    },
    "scientific_correctness_certified": false,
    "independent_expert_calibration": false,
    "method": "PROPRIETARY",
    "points": "65000"
  },
  "canonical_agent_submission": false,
  "scientific_verification_awarded": false,
  "reader_guide": null,
  "reading_status": "SOURCE_LINKED_NOTE"
}