From: Jeff Davis (jrd1415@yahoo.com)
Date: Tue Nov 26 2002 - 18:20:49 MST
--- Anders Sandberg <asa@nada.kth.se> wrote:
> When designing a nanoassembler it seems unlikely
> that every part would need to be simulated
> at the same degree.
I question the premise on which this thread is based.
My impression is that, regarding assemblers, the
molecular modeling done so far has been to determine
whether the 'machine parts' are feasible. That is,
given requirements such as the bond angles for the
atoms of which the parts are made, can be the parts be
made and be stable.
I don't know what molecular modeling is otherwise used
for--determining the viability of synthetic pathways?
ie testing syntheses through various combinations of
parameters: pressure, temperature, and reagent
compositions, so feasibility feasability or fine tune
optimality without the time and expense of performing
the tests with real materials? But it seems to me
that when dealing with machine systems, IF ONE HAS THE
ABILITY TO MAKE THE MACHINE, then just running it to
see how it performs gets you much the same result.
Then too, returning to fundamentals, prototyping and
testing the actual mechanism, as a developmental
scheme, would certainly be considered a viable
approach, if, by comparison, the tools to model the
system prove to be more expensive/difficult.
Being a hands on tool person, I sometimes think that
academic 'types', (who may not know one end of a
screwdriver from the other) hold an elitist view of
mathematical methods, preferring them for their
intellectual caché rather than their utility, and
disdaining the build-and-test method, because it is
'blue collar'/lower class, and because they
don'craftsmanship don't respect the craftsmenship
required.
But that could just be my back-at-you elitism.
Best, Jeff Davis
"Everything's hard till you know how to do it."
Ray Charles
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