John von Neumann
Various links to von Neumann and related work:
A brief outline of the von Neumann architecture for a self replicating system.
John von Neumann.
"John von Neumann: computing's cold warrior",
by Nathan Myhrvold.
John von Neumann.
Von Neumann's Universal Constructor
A page discussing artificial self replication is available.
Chapter
5 of Advanced Automation for Space Missions has a discussion
of many of von Neumann's ideas, along with a more general discussion
of artificial self replication.
John von Neumann