6 ms·

L.S. and S.V. Penrose did some experiments around this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_9ohFWR0Vs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_9ohFWR0Vs

• mLuby 6y ago
  Thanks for the link, that's interesting. All the "self-replicators" I've come across are either digital (e.g. Conway's Game of Life) or like the ones in this video, that is they require specialized parts as their "food." You could say they are all "carnivores" in the sense that they consume other machines. My interest is in "herbivore" self-replicators, those that reproduce by consuming raw materials and energy from their environment.
  • Gravityloss 6y ago
    The cell does some mind boggling stuff. What the macro organism achieves is boring in comparison. Hence clanking replication could be very hard.
    • mLuby 6y ago
      Agreed; I'm proud of our little constituent buddies! I can't help thinking about how close a water-powered lumber mill feels to full closure (i.e. it produces all the parts it uses). Humans perform the chopping, move things from station to station, and assemble the finished parts into new buildings and machines.
      • Gravityloss 6y ago
        What about the saw blade? It's probably hard to cut wood with wood... Usually you require a few different material "paths" for replication. You have a hard material that can be softened with chemicals for example, so it can be shaped with machinery that is softer than the end product.