ABSTRACT
The inside of a cell is a remarkable environment in which to find computation. At first glance, it is as if a thick soup somehow manages not only to keep track of many unique signals but also to have them interact in specific ways to give rise to computation. This feat is accomplished through a mapping of signal identity onto molecular identity. In this mapping lies the power of the cellular computer. Every chemical reaction is a molecular transformation, and computation is born through this manipulation of chemical symbols.
