THE WHATIS.COM WORD-OF-THE-DAY July 26, 2004 grey goo
_____________ SPONSORED BY: Executive Briefing The Executive Roundup is a semimonthly newsletter that focuses on timely topics that affect both IT and business executives. Each edition of this newsletter is based on a monthly theme and includes a compilation of news from around the Web, webcasts, original SearchCIO.com content and more. Topics covered in this newsletter include compliance, IT/business alignment, IT productivity, security and more. http://www.searchcio.com/register?track=NL-34&ad=487872 ______________________ TODAY'S WORD: grey goo Read our complete definition with hyperlinks at http://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/0,,sid9_gci995350,00.html?track=NL-34&ad=487872 Grey goo is a term used to describe what life on our planet might become if self-replicating robots or nanomachines got out of control and began to use up life forms for their own energy needs in some unstoppable way. The term was first used in K. Eric Drexler in his seminal book about nanotechnology, Engines of Creation. Michael Crichton's Prey is one of several science fiction novels about grey goo catastrophes. The possibility of all of us becoming a lifeless conglomeration of grey goo, whether by accident or by robotic intent, is considered exceedingly unlikely. However, it has been taken seriously enough by one researcher, Robert Freitas, to suggest some public policy recommendations. In self-replication at the "nano" or molecular level, some source of energy would be needed and it would seem that these would be the same sources used by life forms or from life forms themselves (just as human beings derive energy from eating other animals that have obtained their energy from lower life forms). In the competition for energy with nanomachines, human beings might find themselves unable to adapt quickly enough through natural evolution, ultimately falling prey to their own intellectual creations. One significant argument against the possibility of a grey goo situation is that engineers should be able to build in limiting conditions for self-replication. One writer, Chris Phoenix, says that it is as unlikely that a molecular manufacturing system could degenerate into unstoppable self-replication as that a drill press or lathe might self-replicate. Phoenix refers to nanorobots that self-replicate only for the limited purpose of a specific task, such as cleaning and closing a wound, as paste. Variations on this term include: * Black goo or red gloo, the use of nanomachines by terrorists or nihilist to destroy all or some segment of humanity * Pink gloo, or a view of humanity itself, which can be seen as a self-replicating entity with a tendency to fill up existing space * Green gloo, the idea of some antidote to the tendency of pink gloo to spread, perhaps limiting its ability to reproduce ______________________ RELATED TERMS: nanomachine http://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/0,,sid9_gci514355,00.html?track=NL-34&ad=487872 nanotechnology http://searchsmallbizit.techtarget.com/sDefinition/0,,sid44_gci213444,00.html?track=NL-34&ad=487872 ______________________ SELECTED LINKS: Chris Phoenix describes "Goo vs. Paste." http://nanotech-now.com/goo.htm Robert A. Freitas, Jr.'s paper is called "Some Limits to Global Ecophagy by Biovorous Nanoreplicators, with Public Policy Recommendations." http://www.foresight.org/NanoRev/Ecophagy.html _____________________ TODAY'S TECH NEWS: REDUNDANCY KEY TO HIGH AVAILABILITY VOIP At this week's Catalyst Conference, a Burton analyst explained why a VoIP system's success is determined during the implementation, and shed light on pitfalls that can harm quality of service. http://searchnetworking.techtarget.com/originalContent/0,289142,sid7_gci995236,00.html?track=NL-34&ad=487872 TAPE WORM HAS LEGS! WORM tape has been around forever but is finding renewed popularity among companies trying to comply with government regulations. http://searchstorage.techtarget.com/originalContent/0,289142,sid5_gci995209,00.html?track=NL-34&ad=487872 BROWN STRIKES GOLD WITH NEW CUSTOMER GAME PLAN Measuring customer satisfaction and increasing collaboration between sales and marketing helped shipping giant UPS transform itself from a one-trick pony. http://searchcrm.techtarget.com/originalContent/0,289142,sid11_gci995200,00.html?track=NL-34&ad=487872 >> Catch up on all the latest IT news at http://searchtechtarget.techtarget.com?track=NL-34&ad=487872 ______________________________ GEEK OF THE WEEK This week, we feature Matt Haughn and his modified CPU, LiLi. http://whatis.techtarget.com/content/0,290959,sid9_gci994948,00.html?track=NL-34&ad=487872&offer=SWOD ______________________ SECRET WORD-OF-THE-DAY This a standard protocol (other than POP3) for accessing e-mail from your local server. What is it? http://searchexchange.techtarget.com/sDefinition/0,,sid43_gci214022,00.html?track=NL-34&ad=487872 ______________________ GEEK TRIVIA QUESTION OF THE DAY What portable hard drive and MP3 player is being issued to freshmen at Duke University this fall as part of a $500,000 study? >> See answer http://searchcio.techtarget.com/gDefinition/0,294236,sid19_gci903269,00.html?track=NL-34&ad=487872&offer=ciofact ______________________ ABBREVIATION QOTD RSS icons are replacing bookmarks in some circles of IT. What does RSS stand for? a. related site storage b. rich site summary >> See answer http://searchsmallbizit.techtarget.com/gDefinition/0,294236,sid44_gci813358,00.html?track=NL-34&ad=487872&offer=qotd ______________________________ RECENT ADDITIONS AND UPDATES (1) 802.11d http://searchmobilecomputing.techtarget.com/sDefinition/0,,sid40_gci994937,00.html?track=NL-34&ad=487872 (2) browser hijacker http://searchsecurity.techtarget.com/sDefinition/0,,sid14_gci994463,00.html?track=NL-34&ad=487872 (3) Wi-Fi VoIP http://searchmobilecomputing.techtarget.com/sDefinition/0,,sid40_gci993307,00.html?track=NL-34&ad=487872 (4) refactoring http://searchcio.techtarget.com/sDefinition/0,,sid19_gci919168,00.html?track=NL-34&ad=487872 (5) malware http://searchsecurity.techtarget.com/sDefinition/0,,sid14_gci762187,00.html?track=NL-34&ad=487872 _______________________________ Expert Answer Center Come get fast answers to your IT questions! 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This site is also the home of the IT Visions Webcast Series, a monthly webcast for IT executives that spotlights strategic issues. http://expertanswercenter.techtarget.com/eac/home/0,295193,sid63,00.html?track=NL-34&ad=487872 Webcast page: http://expertanswercenter.techtarget.com/eac/itVisionsWebcastSeries/0,295200,sid63,00.html?track=NL-34&ad=487872 Expert Knowledgebase: http://expertanswercenter.techtarget.com/eac/knowledgebase/0,295196,sid63,00.html?track=NL-34&ad=487872 Featured Expert: http://expertanswercenter.techtarget.com/eac/expertsOnDemand/0,295202,sid63_tax297365,00.html?track=NL-34&ad=487872 ____________________________________________________________________ ::::::::::::::::::: WHATIS.COM CONTACTS ::::::::::::::::::: MARGARET ROUSE, Site Editor ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) IVY WIGMORE, Consulting Editor ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) LOWELL THING, Consulting Editor and Founder ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) GABRIELLE DERUSSY, Advertising ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) ::::::::::::::::::::: ABOUT THIS NEWSLETTER :::::::::::::::::::::: This e-newsletter is published by WhatIs.com, a targeted Web site from TechTarget, the most targeted IT media and events company. 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