Rogue Keeper on 22/8/2003 at 13:41
Your concern about nanotechnology is quite healthy. This technology is very promising, but then it also probably brings new, previously unimaginable threats...
Seeker on 22/8/2003 at 22:12
Though probably not ones of the city-destroying variety. It would take pretty miraculous a nano-machine to outrun a snail.
Drat on 23/8/2003 at 08:14
Keep in mind that that nanite weapon is self-multiplying. The nanites are turning what they 'consume' into more nanites. The effect is exponential.
Z on 23/8/2003 at 11:54
True.
But, presumably, the original nanites in the bomb (and thus, all the replicated ones also) would be programmed to stop or die out after a certain amount of time or something - if not, wouldn't they engulf the entire planet in a matter of days?
Z
Nethawk on 23/8/2003 at 13:29
Microbes: Random targeting. Uncertain number of casualties. Structures left intact. Long term weapon.
Nanobomb: Certain mayhem and destruction. Everything within pre-determined radius is both destroyed and dead. MUCH more dangerous. Short term weapon. The power of nanite replicating exponentiality: 1 - 2 - 4 - 8 - 16 - 32 - 64 - 128 - 256 - 512 - 1024 - 2048 - 4096 - 8192 - 16384 - 32768 - 65536 - 131072 - 262144 - 524288 - 1048576 - 2097152 - 4194304 - 8388608 - 16777216 - 33554432 - 67108864 - 134217728 etc - all within just the first few seconds if the nanites are programmed to replicate at the rate of 2 to 3 times per second.
Loké on 23/8/2003 at 14:44
And this is about 30 years after JC was rolled off the production line, and we all know what an arse-buger-of-the-universe HE is.
chris the cynic on 23/8/2003 at 20:59
Quote:
Originally posted by Z True.
But, presumably, the original nanites in the bomb (and thus, all the replicated ones also) would be programmed to stop or die out after a certain amount of time or something - if not, wouldn't they engulf the entire planet in a matter of days?
Z This is called gray goo. It is mentioned in the game.
Gray goo is the idea that if you create a nano device which is self replicateing and can use the comon molecules aroung you my end up with nothing but that device. It would simply spread untill there was nothing left but more of it, oh the beauty of exponental growth.
Krahl on 23/8/2003 at 23:29
Quote:
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 ~104 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.
Ecophagy:
The rampant destruction of an ecosystem by a biological or nonbiological agent.
(
http://www.kurzweilai.net/meme/frame.html?m=18)
I recommend reading the various articles on that site, because it looks like we're headed in that direction in the not so distant future.
Dinadan on 22/9/2003 at 21:30
I downloaded the opener, but it's not laying what problem do you need to use to use watch the opener?
ZylonBane on 22/9/2003 at 22:01
Main screen turn on.
