Say a human being could be synthesized on a computer with things like respiration and digestion represented by programmed code. A new drug could be represented by another piece of code. By 'administrating' this new piece of code we could see the effect it would have by observing changes in the synthesized human therefore avoiding tests on animals etc.

Is that scenario possible or is it something that just wouldn't work?

It could be possible but that is way into the future. The programming would be a huge process to get that to work alone.

It would definetely be possible, theoretically you could replicate the entire universe down to the atomic scale using a simulation, there are no real limits.

The only problem with what you're suggesting is that you would need to create such a complex program full of so much detail to do it accurately, and we just aren't able to do that yet. Maybe in the future though.

would you risk your health to a medicine that is only tested virtually without proof whatsoever ?

If it ever did happen it wouldn't take the place of other clinical trials. If anything it would be used as an additional step along side the current methods, at least until it's proven to be accurate and reliable.

YES! YES! agree! i agree! can't think of anything right now. i've been awake for 32hours now. xD

It exists in embryo form and is called an expert system for medical applications. The problem is that you deal with literally millions of variables, and sometimes we are not even sure which one of them changes due to what. Or why it does not change if it is "supposed to". So for small application, such as the reaction of the body to one or more drugs on a certain organ, can be made.

But, speaking of animal testing, for most tests there are alternative methods already. It is just this last step of certainty that is still missing and that is why medicines still need to be tested on both animals and human volunteers.

Yea currently there is a maximum to processing power. You can only shrink down and pack together processors so much before it is physically impossible to do it any further. Thats there has been a big race on for quantum based computers. Of course the advent of real AI would be another way to go, simply have the computer design and manage the universe for you.

I think before we see a computer simulated world, we will see simple circulatory systems and small organs designed in the lab to test drugs. Much of the technology to make a little CC and small organs (just samples of tissues) exists. So long as you have donors for the cell lines its a very plausible ay to test new drugs.

Wow....yeah, It's possible I suppose. It would take a ridiculous amount of time to program, mapping out the entire human body with all the organs and systems and having them "run" and react to "drugs". Then, even after writing that, they would have to write code for the drugs, and viruses, etc. The amount of variables in this project would be countless, and unless a decent GUI was made with it, it would get pretty hard ot actually understand what was going on.

Maybe in the future this might happen, but I don't think any time soon. It would be interesting though.

This reminds me of an episode of this show John Doe, where some scientist coded the entire human brain into a computer, consciousness and everything. Interesting theories.

If any computer programmer had the brain-power to do that, then he/she would just come out with the worlds best computer game
& then retire to a life of luxury.

I think we are a long way off from being able to rely on a computer facsimile person. Not only are there too many variables between genders, you also have to factor in the ethnicity related differences. Human disease does seem to follow a pattern, but it is only just now something they are able to run odds on.

Even -if- the next generation spent the entire time creating these quad-gender (have to add in those born with both and none) programs of every ethnicity... and they were able to create the computer programs for the known viruses, bacterias, disease and syndromes, every symptom ever recorded (in other words, maybe a few generations of work)...

Would you trust it? Who do you think would be the companies running these programs? Most likely the drug companies. Could the government afford the same programs to check the information given to them before allowing the medications to become public?

Like everyone has said, it is theoretically possible, but knowing the unreliability of some people computers, the results maybe inconclusive or just incorrect. There may have to be like 3 different projects to see if the results are the same, or have some corolation. That, and some people react differently when taking medication.