On Fri, Sep 26, 2014 at 8:26 AM, Tim Tyler via AGI <[email protected]> wrote: > "The smallest plausible biovorous nanoreplicator has a molecular weight > of ~1 gigadalton and a minimum replication time of perhaps ~100 seconds, > in theory permitting global ecophagy to be completed in as few as ~10^4 > seconds. However, such rapid replication creates an immediately detectable > thermal signature enabling effective defensive policing instrumentalities > to be promptly deployed before significant damage to the ecology can occur."
Half of this heat would be created in the last generation. The danger here is that someone could develop a "time bomb" nanobot that replicates slowly and undetectably until it has spread worldwide, then releases its payload simultaneously at a set time or when a signal is received. We have already seen computer viruses with this behavior. It is very difficult to defend against unknown designs. It is hard enough to defend against computer viruses and biological pathogens. The threat is that nanoscale 3-D printers and genetic engineering equipment is getting cheaper. It will be possible for billions of people to have such equipment and do experiments, just like billions of people now have computers and anyone can write malicious software. -- -- Matt Mahoney, [email protected] ------------------------------------------- AGI Archives: https://www.listbox.com/member/archive/303/=now RSS Feed: https://www.listbox.com/member/archive/rss/303/21088071-f452e424 Modify Your Subscription: https://www.listbox.com/member/?member_id=21088071&id_secret=21088071-58d57657 Powered by Listbox: http://www.listbox.com
