I think people here seriously underestimate how long nanotech will take. Suppose you have a machine which takes atoms and deposits them onto a surface, building it up layer by layer. This is possible with today's technology, but it's a slow process. Consider this: If someone builds a replicator which takes a week to make a copy of itself, every person on this entire planet could have one within eight months. Think about it.
Anonymous wrote:
I think people here seriously underestimate how long nanotech will take. Suppose you have a machine which takes atoms and deposits them onto a surface, building it up layer by layer. This is possible with today's technology, but it's a slow process.
Quantum Well Lasers are three atomic layers of gallium indium arsenide, packed between ultra-thin layers of indium phosphide and used in all high speed CDROM drives on the market. The revolution is closer than you think! Vipul -- Powell lingered. "How's Earth?" It was a conventional enough question and Muller gave the conventional answer, "Still spinning." -- "Reason", Asimov. ================================================================== Vipul Ved Prakash | - Electronic Security & Crypto mail@vipul.net | - Web Objects 91 11 2233328 | - PERL Development 198 Madhuban IP Extension | - Linux & Open Systems Delhi, INDIA 110 092 | - Networked Virtual Spaces
nobody@replay.com (Anonymous) wrote:
I think people here seriously underestimate how long nanotech will take. Suppose you have a machine which takes atoms and deposits them onto a surface, building it up layer by layer. This is possible with today's technology, but it's a slow process.
Consider this: If someone builds a replicator which takes a week to make a copy of itself, every person on this entire planet could have one within eight months. Think about it.
Let's consider a rough estimate of whether this could actually work. Suppose you have a desktop fab with an ion gun that can put out 1 amp of current, housed in a 10-centimeter cube, and you want to build another cube. Assuming an average ionization energy of 10 eV and supposing this achieved an energy efficiency of 10% that'd be 100 watts. 1 coulomb/second = 6.24 x 10^18 atoms/sec. Assuming an atomic spacing of roughly 10^-10 meters, at that rate it'd take you about 18.5 days to construct one side of the cube with a thickness of 1mm, or almost four months to build another cube. I'd guesstimate another 4 months to build the electronics for it. And then you'd need some way to assemble the pieces. So roughly 8 months just to build one copy, rather than to achieve world domination. :) Still, unless I'm way off on these estimates, it's within the right ballpark. If the cubes were 1 cm, you could make copies in less than a day, assuming it didn't get too hot at that power level. Just figure out how you're going to feed the electricity and raw materials into all those little things... This sort of replicator is not what is usually considered nanotechnology, but if it actually worked, such a device could become quite popular.
The Sheriff wrote:
I think people here seriously underestimate how long nanotech will take. Suppose you have a machine which takes atoms and deposits them onto a surface, building it up layer by layer. This is possible with today's technology, but it's a slow process.
I don't think it's that far away. Decades (or at least years) ago, the US Navy developed a laser so focused and controlled it could write messages on one face of a cube of salt.
You can also push atoms around with an AFM. It's just slow. But even if it did take a week or two to make something, it would still be practical. You'd probably have to wait a week to get something delivered by mail-order, so you might as well make it yourself. I wonder what Tim 'copyright is dead' May will think when anyone can make a Pentium clone in their back bedroom. :)
-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
I think people here seriously underestimate how long nanotech will take. Suppose you have a machine which takes atoms and deposits them onto a surface, building it up layer by layer. This is possible with today's technology, but it's a slow process.
I don't think it's that far away. Decades (or at least years) ago, the US Navy developed a laser so focused and controlled it could write messages on one face of a cube of salt. Best wishes and fresh-roasted peanut taste, The Sheriff. -- ***<REPLY TO: sheriff@speakeasy.org>*** - --- As kinky as it sounds, finger me to see my PGP key and confirm the signature attached to this message. Either that, or head for pgp.ai.mit.edu on the WWW and search for my e-mail address. - --- Any and all SPAM will be met with immediate prosecutory efforts. Solicitations are NOT welcome here! - --- ----BEGIN INFLAMATORY BLOCK---- Version: 160 (IQ) Comments: Definitely one of their greatest misses. Reporter: "Do you know what Public Enemy is?" - --- Citizen: "Public enemy?" [long pause] "Probably somebody in office." -----END INFLAMATORY BLOCK----- -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: PGPfreeware 5.0 for non-commercial use <http://www.pgp.com> Charset: noconv iQEVAwUBNMDw1ABMw4+NR29ZAQEZPwf+Nscubdhe+0M0SxQTwXqWz4u8Wv9YbxvI o1MV1MFxy5f2fCjiNglBYzW6VWMBg2Xz+WPsUOhcdiUMiF0UGyhgwg9dfIE5HXxR /8QWSlhQaio2Qt+uw5a18h74qjKca2jvWTKxYhgBU6p8B8W0FlGemvJVPe0lR1cD hKylwlqrAX9f/ofi9RZODEL/7RIHR2bgEqDrRoO29Lu9Wgyj+FoV1ZTBV0IOZnc0 O8y5xsjkzazZoC0dhwkUk2aTn5qQoSA6djhefUuCsmRlYg81NdWHa4375UgXw5ji XHNDFK7mNsAgIvE7StGkr2eCkaSLkep+R4OF5vADYvALvfA0H67yMw== =p4aS -----END PGP SIGNATURE-----
participants (4)
-
ghio＠temp0181.myriad.ml.org -
nobody＠REPLAY.COM -
The Sheriff -
Vipul Ved Prakash