Don't knock doomsayers, or their 'Grey Goo.'

[wolven7]

http://www.cnn.com/2004/TECH/ptech/01/09/nanotech.health.reut/index.html

If you don't take precautions, i will personally make sure that, before our tiny masters take over, there will be a rousing chorus of "I told you so," around the Globe. :)

Mmmm... goo... Kind of disquieting, to watch it work... "Virtual Light" esque..

Comments

[unknownbinaries.livejournal.com]

So Where does the whole Grey Goo fear come from, in this?

v2.1

[wolven.livejournal.com]

My Bad, third paragraph.

Re: v2.1

[unknownbinaries.livejournal.com]

No, I meant in general. What're nanos supposed to do that will eventually make all things into undifferentiated matter?

Re: v2.1

[wolven.livejournal.com]

Oh. Well, there's the fact that people fear the recombination of matter, by nanotech, into a uniform ooze, all composed of other nanotech, because, to them, that's a logical formation. If they take over. They don't need shelter, so there's no need for them to make buildings.

Now, my thing is, there are certain things that people forget, when making plans, like this, certain Safe guards, and redundancies: You give it a set of parameters, times when it is able to go outside of those parameters, and you close as many potential loop holes that it could use to, say, grow you GILLS, jelly-fish membranes, extra, painful eyes, &c., as possible.

Most Important Rule, though: If it starts acting in what it cosiders to be its own best interest: Respect it, and work With it. Do Not try to destroy it. That will only make things worse.

Re: v2.1

[unknownbinaries.livejournal.com]

Re: Eyes, gills, etc.
You've seen that ep. of Outer Limits, too! That's made me pretty scared of the concept of nano...It's amazing, the power of fear-imprinting within a show when viewed at 2am...

Re: v2.1

[wolven.livejournal.com]

Of course i have, my dear. :)

Always remember, Sci-Fi and horror are there to teach us things. Without Arthur C. Clarke and Isaac Asimov, we would have none of our advances in space programs, robotics, and AI. That said, we learn from the things that go wrong, as well. The key thing that i've noticed leads to the downfall of the human race, in these situations? Lack of respect.

Re: v2.1

[not-hothead-yet.livejournal.com]

I agree: lack of respect is what can be found at the end of nearly every trace through "somethin bad" we ever did as humans, to each other, to the earth and to the rest of life here. Lack of respect encompasses both unwillingness to recognize another entities importance and right to life as well as failure to evolve in order to allow other entities room to live.

You hit the nail on the head with that.

Re: v2.1

[wolven.livejournal.com]

There is definately something to be said for trying to respect something, even if you hate it, and, you know, not trying to wipe it off the face of the earth. Unfortunately people too often equate "respect" with "Like."