[TML]Chemistry Question Richard Aiken (02 May 2014 04:36 UTC)
Re: [TML]Chemistry Question Tim (02 May 2014 06:40 UTC)
Re: [TML]Chemistry Question Knapp (02 May 2014 06:44 UTC)
Re: [TML]Chemistry Question Tim (02 May 2014 07:37 UTC)
Re: [TML]Chemistry Question Knapp (02 May 2014 18:11 UTC)
Re: [TML]Chemistry Question Richard Aiken (04 May 2014 06:02 UTC)
Re: [TML]Chemistry Question Tim (04 May 2014 06:57 UTC)
Re: [TML]Chemistry Question Bruce Johnson (04 May 2014 14:31 UTC)
Re: [TML]Chemistry Question Richard Aiken (05 May 2014 04:24 UTC)
Re: [TML]Chemistry Question shadow@xxxxxx (05 May 2014 09:45 UTC)
Re: [TML]Chemistry Question Bruce Johnson (05 May 2014 16:48 UTC)
RE: [TML]Chemistry Question Anthony Jackson (06 May 2014 21:11 UTC)
Re: [TML]Chemistry Question Richard Aiken (08 May 2014 04:05 UTC)
Re: [TML]Chemistry Question Richard Aiken (08 May 2014 04:07 UTC)
Re: [TML]Chemistry Question Richard Aiken (08 May 2014 04:10 UTC)
Re: [TML]Chemistry Question Knapp (08 May 2014 05:30 UTC)
Re: [TML]Chemistry Question Tim (08 May 2014 06:43 UTC)
Re: [TML]Chemistry Question Richard Aiken (08 May 2014 08:14 UTC)
Re: [TML]Chemistry Question Tim (08 May 2014 15:17 UTC)
Re: [TML]Chemistry Question Bruce Johnson (08 May 2014 16:01 UTC)
Re: [TML]Chemistry Question shadow@xxxxxx (09 May 2014 08:48 UTC)
Re: [TML]Chemistry Question Richard Aiken (09 May 2014 09:21 UTC)
Re: [TML]Chemistry Question Craig Berry (09 May 2014 23:38 UTC)
Re: [TML]Chemistry Question Bruce Johnson (09 May 2014 14:47 UTC)
Re: [TML]Chemistry Question Tim (09 May 2014 15:51 UTC)
Re: [TML]Chemistry Question Knapp (09 May 2014 20:54 UTC)
Re: [TML]Chemistry Question Bruce Johnson (09 May 2014 21:50 UTC)
Re: [TML]Chemistry Question Phil Pugliese (09 May 2014 23:09 UTC)
Re: [TML]Chemistry Question Tim (10 May 2014 07:32 UTC)
Re: [TML]Chemistry Question Phil Pugliese (10 May 2014 17:10 UTC)
Re: [TML]ChemistryQuestion Rob O'Connor (10 May 2014 08:45 UTC)
Re: [TML]ChemistryQuestion Knapp (10 May 2014 21:13 UTC)
Re: [TML]ChemistryQuestion Phil Pugliese (10 May 2014 22:04 UTC)
Re: [TML]ChemistryQuestion Tim (11 May 2014 04:40 UTC)
Re: [TML]ChemistryQuestion Richard Aiken (11 May 2014 06:22 UTC)
Re: [TML]ChemistryQuestion Phil Pugliese (11 May 2014 15:57 UTC)
Re: [TML]ChemistryQuestion Bruce Johnson (12 May 2014 19:04 UTC)
Re: [TML]ChemistryQuestion Phil Pugliese (12 May 2014 19:13 UTC)
Re: [TML]ChemistryQuestion Bruce Johnson (12 May 2014 20:52 UTC)
Re: [TML]ChemistryQuestion Knapp (12 May 2014 21:32 UTC)
Re: [TML]ChemistryQuestion Phil Pugliese (12 May 2014 22:21 UTC)
Re: [TML]ChemistryQuestion youngerpliny@xxxxxx (12 May 2014 21:41 UTC)
Re: [TML]ChemistryQuestion Richard Aiken (11 May 2014 06:47 UTC)
Re:[TML]ChemistryQuestion Rob O'Connor (12 May 2014 08:48 UTC)
Re: [TML]ChemistryQuestion Richard Aiken (12 May 2014 19:32 UTC)
Re: [TML]ChemistryQuestion Richard Aiken (12 May 2014 20:49 UTC)
Re: [TML]ChemistryQuestion Tim (13 May 2014 00:22 UTC)
Re: [TML]ChemistryQuestion Richard Aiken (14 May 2014 02:45 UTC)
Re: [TML]ChemistryQuestion Tim (14 May 2014 03:53 UTC)
Re: [TML]ChemistryQuestion Tim (14 May 2014 04:20 UTC)
Re: [TML]ChemistryQuestion Kelly St. Clair (14 May 2014 06:11 UTC)
Re: [TML]ChemistryQuestion Bruce Johnson (14 May 2014 17:37 UTC)
Re: [TML]ChemistryQuestion Knapp (14 May 2014 18:00 UTC)
Re: [TML]ChemistryQuestion Bruce Johnson (14 May 2014 18:51 UTC)
Re: [TML]ChemistryQuestion Jeffrey Schwartz (14 May 2014 19:09 UTC)
Re: [TML]ChemistryQuestion Bruce Johnson (14 May 2014 20:20 UTC)
Re: [TML]ChemistryQuestion Knapp (14 May 2014 20:35 UTC)
Re: [TML]ChemistryQuestion Richard Aiken (15 May 2014 03:51 UTC)
Re: [TML]ChemistryQuestion Knapp (15 May 2014 05:33 UTC)
Re: [TML]ChemistryQuestion Tim (15 May 2014 07:44 UTC)
Grey Goo (Was: ChemistryQuestion) Mikko Parviainen (15 May 2014 08:39 UTC)
Re: [TML] Grey Goo (Was: ChemistryQuestion) Tim (15 May 2014 11:38 UTC)
Re: [TML]ChemistryQuestion Richard Aiken (16 May 2014 06:20 UTC)
RE: [TML]ChemistryQuestion Anthony Jackson (16 May 2014 16:29 UTC)
Re: [TML]ChemistryQuestion Richard Aiken (20 May 2014 06:28 UTC)
Re: [TML]ChemistryQuestion Knapp (20 May 2014 17:55 UTC)
RE: [TML]ChemistryQuestion Anthony Jackson (20 May 2014 18:32 UTC)
Re: [TML]ChemistryQuestion Richard Aiken (21 May 2014 08:14 UTC)
Re: [TML]ChemistryQuestion Tim (21 May 2014 13:05 UTC)
Re: [TML]ChemistryQuestion Phil Pugliese (23 May 2014 08:09 UTC)
RE: [TML]ChemistryQuestion Anthony Jackson (14 May 2014 20:44 UTC)
RE: [TML]ChemistryQuestion Anthony Jackson (14 May 2014 20:52 UTC)
Re: [TML]Chemistry Question Knapp (06 May 2014 20:53 UTC)

Re: [TML] Grey Goo (Was: ChemistryQuestion) Tim 15 May 2014 11:38 UTC

On Thu, May 15, 2014 at 11:39:37AM +0300, Mikko Parviainen wrote:
> I have sometimes wondered how much better the new "grey goo" should
> be compared to the current one. As it is, there are quite a lot of
> self-replicating nanomachines at almost all places, trying to eat
> everything, or at least everything organic, and we don't seem to be
> being overrun by it.

In another sense, we are overrun by it.  In a third sense, we *are* a
(somewhat less grey) goo, partway through the process of devouring the
Earth.

One possible difference is that technological self-replication could
make use of energy sources and processes that biological organisms
would never evolve without intelligence.  There's also a problem of
existing organisms having no defenses against totally novel attacks.

But yes, we are surrounded by self-replicating nanomachines already.
I expect if we ever come to make purely technological selfreps, we
will find out that replication is extremely difficult to sustain
outside of carefully tuned conditions.  Certainly nothing like the
magic "utility fog" capable of creating anything (including more of
itself) effortlessly from almost arbitrary materials.

- Tim