4 ms·

Which is how I feel about most of the supposed Ai paradoxes like "The stamp collector problem" or even "Grey goo". They're like a 10 ten ton block of ice in the

Which is how I feel about most of the supposed Ai paradoxes like "The stamp collector problem" or even "Grey goo". They're like a 10 ten ton block of ice in the middle of a sun. Sure, it's physically plausible, there's nothing in the laws of physics that says it can't happen. It's only that there's no path leading up to it happening.

adrianN 9y ago
I think grey goo is fairly realistic. Having small, self-replicating machines has many useful applications. Flaws during reproduction could trigger a runaway replication scenario. The latter already happens with the existing small replicating machines that we know. We usually call that cancer.
- Retric 9y ago
  Life is already tiny self replicating machines, it still can't replicate inside of a wood wall very well. Further, life and nano-machines are stuck with the same building blocks. Outside of organic chemistry there are not a lot of options for self replication. At which point your nano machines are also just food for existing nano-machines with billions of years of evolution behind them. TLDR; The problem is chemistry not design.
  - adrianN 9y ago
    Wood wasn't digested by anything for millions of years. It seems not completely impossible that whatever we use to create the nanomachines wouldn't be eaten by anything. But of course you're right in stating that it's unlikely that we'll produce machines that are capable of self-replicating using virtually any available substrate. So the runaway scenario where the whole Earth is turned into grey goo is unrealistic.
    - Retric 9y ago
      Small bits of Wood get eaten by any number of organisms and much faster when wet. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dry_rot https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dry_rot So, it's probably a poor choice for building blocks if you don't want the robots eaten especially if you want the to move around..
      - adrianN 9y ago
        I was referring to the carboniferous period where literally nothing could digest wood, wet or not.
        Retric 9y ago
        > where literally nothing could digest wood Yea, that's not actually well supported. There is no where near enough coal for all wood over that time span. Larger creatures like termites where probably missing. But, micro organisms don't eat dry wood on their own very quickly.

adrianN 9y ago

I think grey goo is fairly realistic. Having small, self-replicating machines has many useful applications. Flaws during reproduction could trigger a runaway replication scenario. The latter already happens with the existing small replicating machines that we know. We usually call that cancer.

Retric 9y ago
Life is already tiny self replicating machines, it still can't replicate inside of a wood wall very well. Further, life and nano-machines are stuck with the same building blocks. Outside of organic chemistry there are not a lot of options for self replication. At which point your nano machines are also just food for existing nano-machines with billions of years of evolution behind them. TLDR; The problem is chemistry not design.
- adrianN 9y ago
  Wood wasn't digested by anything for millions of years. It seems not completely impossible that whatever we use to create the nanomachines wouldn't be eaten by anything. But of course you're right in stating that it's unlikely that we'll produce machines that are capable of self-replicating using virtually any available substrate. So the runaway scenario where the whole Earth is turned into grey goo is unrealistic.
  - Retric 9y ago
    Small bits of Wood get eaten by any number of organisms and much faster when wet. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dry_rot https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dry_rot So, it's probably a poor choice for building blocks if you don't want the robots eaten especially if you want the to move around..
    - adrianN 9y ago
      I was referring to the carboniferous period where literally nothing could digest wood, wet or not.
      - Retric 9y ago
        > where literally nothing could digest wood Yea, that's not actually well supported. There is no where near enough coal for all wood over that time span. Larger creatures like termites where probably missing. But, micro organisms don't eat dry wood on their own very quickly.