From: Colin Hales (colin@versalog.com.au)
Date: Wed Oct 17 2001 - 07:25:36 MDT
>
> Whatever humans do, they merely rerrange atoms. Natural
> processes caused
> enrichment. There is no physical law preventing you from counteracting
> local entropy increase by a larger entropy increase elsewhere
> (the Sun).
>
> Specifically, nanotechnology allows you to establish
> facilities for atomic
> and molecular separation with very high processivity and/or on a very
> large scale. At this point, everything material becomes a resource,
> putting an end to scarcity (at least, for a while).
>
Quite so.....but change and conversion takes time and I'd be happy to see
the (blunt instrument) megatechnology moved off world while the nanos get
born, grow up and start to breed. We're past the 'gleam in the futurists
eye' stage for the nano - maybe we're at the 'lying back having a cigarette
after the conception' stage at the moment. Lots of potential and lots of
work to be done and risks to take.
Right now I'm concerned with handing custodianship of the planet my kids and
grandkids. What do the Scouts say? "Leave the campsite the same/better than
you found it". Seems I can't do that simple thing in some fairly serious
areas.
This thread started with Mr Hawking trying to get peoples eyes looking
skywards. It's sad, but I can see him trying to make that little difference
before he shuffles off. I hope it gets further than us converted. He
deserves that. Even the Titanic had a few life boats. At the moment we have
a set of metaphorical leaky water wings for the whole planet.
col
*why doesn't someone find a heap of gold out on those asteroids. Good ol'
greed'd get'em movin'*
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