Re: Leading nanotech experts put 'grey goo' in perspective

From: Steve O'Hara-Smith (steveo_at_eircom.net)
Date: 06/17/04 

Date: 17 Jun 2004 16:11:04 GMT

On 17 Jun 2004 07:34:08 GMT
Jim Logajan <JamesL@lugoj.com> wrote:

JL> 1) The Nanofactory proposal and the opinion piece appear to be employing
JL>
JL> special pleading when comparing self-replicating assemblers and
JL> Nanofactories. E.g. the "external" computer mechanism could also be
JL> employed with self-replicating assemblers, as could the use of purified
JL> feedstock. Assemblers need little or no mobility - just enough to stay
JL> connected with their neighboring assemblers - much like Nanofactory
JL> fabricators.

        As far as I can see either a dependency on purified feedstock or
minimal mobility is sufficient to prevent a grey goo. Both also simplify
the design problem significantly for either a factory or a self replicator.

JL> 2) What functionality does a Nanofactory lack that makes it "simpler" than
JL> a self-replicating assembler?

        It is perhaps worth noticing that we have macroscopic factories
using production lines and robot arms but we have no macroscopic self
replicators. The thing is that no single factory is able to replicate itself,
for that you need the whole industrial complex which includes many special
purpose factories. It seems reasonable to me that nano fabrication could
proceed along similar lines. 

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