4 ms·

Can you say more about these nanotech slugs please?

by tlow 6y ago

0ld 6y ago
I believe they are referencing James S. A. Corey The Expanse [0] series [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Expanse_(novel_series) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Expanse_(novel_series)
- antepodius 6y ago
  Haha, nah, it was more the general idea. An amalgam of sci-fi. Greg Egan had a story where an advanced civ sends a gram-sized slug into the gas giant of a solar system, which bootstraps to machinery that 3d prints people and machinery, which is a plausible enough inspiration that I can give it here. Just remove the implausible 'nobody just decides to go bacteria-mode' aspect from Egan's far-future stories.
  - Intermernet 6y ago
    Do you happen to remember which story? I like Greg Egan and that one sounds interesting.
    - antepodius 6y ago
      Found it eventually: https://outofthiseos.typepad.com/blog/files/GregEganGlory.pdf https://outofthiseos.typepad.com/blog/files/GregEganGlory.pd... All his stories are listed here, whether they be published on his website or elsewhere: https://www.gregegan.net/BIBLIOGRAPHY/Online.html https://www.gregegan.net/BIBLIOGRAPHY/Online.html
      - Intermernet 6y ago
        Thanks!
    - brainbag 6y ago
      It's not the Egan book but Accelerando by Charles Stross is my favorite near-current day up to post-singularity book and it covers topics like this in a fantastic and fun way.
- airstrike 6y ago
  See also https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matrioshka_brain https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matrioshka_brain
antepodius 6y ago
Imagine you're arbitrarily close to the physical limits of technology. You do or could understand how living things work, down to the molecular level, for example, and know how to engineer self-replicating machinery analogous to DNA. At the very least, you could build a 'spaceship' that can grow something at least as efficient as people, who can replicate however and disassemble earth for raw materials. Presumably, you can do much better, and you end up with something like a self-packaged deployable technological superintelligent ecosystem.

Can you say more about these nanotech slugs please?

by tlow 6y ago

Can you say more about these nanotech slugs please?

0ld 6y ago

I believe they are referencing James S. A. Corey The Expanse [0] series [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Expanse_(novel_series) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Expanse_(novel_series)

antepodius 6y ago
Haha, nah, it was more the general idea. An amalgam of sci-fi. Greg Egan had a story where an advanced civ sends a gram-sized slug into the gas giant of a solar system, which bootstraps to machinery that 3d prints people and machinery, which is a plausible enough inspiration that I can give it here. Just remove the implausible 'nobody just decides to go bacteria-mode' aspect from Egan's far-future stories.
- Intermernet 6y ago
  Do you happen to remember which story? I like Greg Egan and that one sounds interesting.
  - antepodius 6y ago
    Found it eventually: https://outofthiseos.typepad.com/blog/files/GregEganGlory.pdf https://outofthiseos.typepad.com/blog/files/GregEganGlory.pd... All his stories are listed here, whether they be published on his website or elsewhere: https://www.gregegan.net/BIBLIOGRAPHY/Online.html https://www.gregegan.net/BIBLIOGRAPHY/Online.html
    - Intermernet 6y ago
      Thanks!
  - brainbag 6y ago
    It's not the Egan book but Accelerando by Charles Stross is my favorite near-current day up to post-singularity book and it covers topics like this in a fantastic and fun way.
airstrike 6y ago
See also https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matrioshka_brain https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matrioshka_brain

antepodius 6y ago

Imagine you're arbitrarily close to the physical limits of technology. You do or could understand how living things work, down to the molecular level, for example, and know how to engineer self-replicating machinery analogous to DNA. At the very least, you could build a 'spaceship' that can grow something at least as efficient as people, who can replicate however and disassemble earth for raw materials. Presumably, you can do much better, and you end up with something like a self-packaged deployable technological superintelligent ecosystem.