This bears reading:
http://blog.wired.com/wiredscience/2009/04/newtonai.html
wherein a robot correctly deduces the law of conservation of momentum, and Newton’s second law of motion using only first principles. That is, the programmers gave the computer the ability to test and modify its theories, then the computer figured these laws out for itself. Also today is this:
http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-10211175-1.html?part=rsstag=feedsubj=Crave
Wherein the robot “Adam” (ahem), becomes “the first machine to independently come up with new scientific findings.”
Exciting and a little disturbing.