Grey Goo

[Pigeon]

Grey goo (alternatively spelled gray goo) is a hypothetical end-of-the-world scenario involving molecular nanotechnology in which out-of-control self-replicating robots consume all matter on Earth while building more of themselves, a scenario known as ecophagy ("eating the environment").

Self-replicating machines of the macroscopic variety were originally described by mathematician John von Neumann, and are sometimes referred to as von Neumann machines. The term grey goo was coined by nanotechnology pioneer Eric Drexler in his 1986 book Engines of Creation, stating that "we cannot afford certain types of accidents." In 2004 he stated "I wish I had never used the term 'grey goo'."

[Pana]

Otherwise known in the natural world as bacteria.

[Pigeon]

Development in this area deserves it's own planet.

[Pana]

I read a short story on it somewhere, sometime.

Basically, a machine lands on a planet and proceeds to build a factory that produces machines just like itself using the raw materials of the planet. Then they 'colonize' the rest of the plant, building more factories until all the resources are depleted.

Geez. That sounds familiar.

[Royal]

Can I communicate with my bacteria? Is that where toasted dolphin comes in?

[Pana]

You're always in communication with your bacteria

...even when you don't know it.

[Royal]

How does one know if it's bacteria or a virus.

[Pana]

This was the short story...

and it was based on Von Neumann...

"In David Brin's short story collection, The River of Time (1986), the short story "Lungfish" prominently features von Neumann probes.[8] Not only does he explore the concept of the probes themselves, but indirectly explores the ideas of competition between different designs of probes, evolution of von Neumann probes in the face of such competition, and the development of a type of ecology between von Neumann probes. One of the vessels mentioned is clearly a Seeder type."

- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Self-repli ... spacecraft

[Pana]

How does one know if it's bacteria or a virus.

Bacteria carry peace signs

Virus' carry guns.

;0

[Royal]

lol.


Does bacteria that make you sick may actually be cleansing you of something you don't see?