Re: Homework, was Re: Goo You--was Re: Nuke weapon/reactor/waste horror story links?

From: John Marlow (johnmarrek@yahoo.com)
Date: Wed Jan 10 2001 - 00:25:22 MST


I'm reading it now. The science is good, obviously,
and I'm not all the way through it, but holes appear
in the first few paragraphs. For example--the comment
that a stealth buildup would take 20 mo to accomplish
and that a more rapid buildup would be detected,
thereby enabling defenses to be deployed.

Yah, right.

WHAT defenses? The basic problem, of course, is that
you really need a nanodefense--and that you can't
possibly develop one until (as Drexler has pointed
out) the tech is already here.

Therefore: If the first guy/nation/AI to develop the
tech screws up or goes psychotic, detection becomes
quite irrelevant because there ARE no defenses.

As to the little buggers not devouring the planet's
core because of meltown--well, that hardly matters to
us, does it?

But, as I say, I'm still looking it over. Homework is
what I'm doing; that's why I'm here.

Thanks to you and those others who've provided helpful
links. Last time I plowed through foresight in-depth,
the ecophagy piece wasn't there.

john marlow

--
--- "Michael M. Butler" <butler@comp-lib.org> wrote:
> Well, as long as we're wishing, I'd like a pony.
> Jeeze, Mr. Marlow. Do
> your freaking homework. Please. Get a copy of the
> Freitas paper from
> Foresight.
> 
> www.foresight.org/NanoRev/Ecophagy.html. Read it.
> It's the first paper
> on the subject of any detail. As I say, I think some
> of what he says is
> arguable.
> 
> John Marlow wrote:
> > Meticulous calculations
> > showed that to be very, very, very unlikely, if
> not
> > impossible.
> > 
> > I'd love to see similar calculations regarding the
> goo
> > situation.
> > 
> > I really would.
> > 
> >      ?
> > 
> > john marlow
> > 
> > ---
> > 
> > --- "Michael S. Lorrey" <mlorrey@datamann.com>
> wrote:
> > > Your position rests, though, on one key
> principle:
> > > that absolutely
> > > nobody can be trusted. I think the fact that
> most
> > > intelligence analysts
> > > will admit that at least one if not more nuclear
> > > weapons may be already
> > > in the hands of one or more terrorist groups,
> yet
> > > they have not been
> > > used is a pretty good indicator that even the
> most
> > > extreme individuals
> > > can still have the capacity to retain some
> sanity in
> > > their judgement.
> > > The mere fact that the russians, chinese,
> cubans,
> > > and others have had
> > > them and not used them is a pretty good
> indicator
> > > that most people are
> > > pretty good at being responsible with such
> power.
> > > Accidents do happen,
> > > no doubt, however you have not shown any
> indications
> > > that advanced
> > > nanotech would be as uncontrollable as you
> claim.
> > > You have no evidence
> > > (nor, IMHO, any knowledged to judge) that any
> > > accidents would not be
> > > containable.
> > >
> > > john marlow wrote:
> > > >
> > > > All true, all true--but irrelevant; point is
> it
> > > can happen. Two further
> > > > points: nukes can be tracked, perhaps even by
> > > satellite, by rad emissions,
> > > > making use difficult. Not so nannite packages.
> > > Also, any party employing a
> > > > backpack nuke must fear massive retaliation
> from
> > > the target nation. With
> > > > the proper nanoweapon, however, the target
> nation
> > > can be obliterated,
> > > > making retaliation improbable and use more
> likely.
> > > >
> > > > john marlow
> > > >
> > > > Michael S. Lorrey wrote:
> > > >
> > > >  > > RUSSIA MISSING NUCLEAR DEVICES
> > > >  >
> > > >  >
> http://cns.miis.edu/pubs/reports/lebedlg.htm
> > > >
> > > > How long have they been missing? For years, so
> far
> > > as I know. Not one
> > > > has been used. How about that?
> > > > Here's another question? How do we know they
> > > actually had them to begin
> > > > with? Perhaps its just a matter of a commie
> > > official reporting x number
> > > > were made and not actually making that many,
> then
> > > pocketing the
> > > > difference. Not unheard of.
> > > >
> > > >
> > >
> >
>
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