From: Charlie Stross (charlie@antipope.org)
Date: Wed Jan 28 1998 - 05:26:05 MST
On Wed, Jan 28, 1998 at 07:43:14PM +1000, Mitchell Porter wrote:
> 1. Design and construction of an assembler. There will
> soon be a web page where you can go and describe a nanosystem
> by shape and substance, and a Java applet will generate an
> atomic blueprint to those specifications. I base this
> prediction on discussions at nanocad@world.std.com.
> The core of the applet will be based on
> ftp://ftp.std.com/pub/wware/alg_gen.tgz.
Er ... to cross-fertilize with the Linux thread, I think you've just
invented the seeds of the Free Hardware Foundation, which will be
dedicated to providing robust, GNU Copylefted blueprints for all the
tools and durables required for everyday life without dependency on
nasty proprietary icky private patented software.
I can just see where (by analogy with the free software movement)
this is going to go:
"The FHF is dedicated to providing a complete suite of all the hardware
any dedicated hacker needs in order to completely eschew the consumer
society. It will not contain consumer goods, but only items guaranteed
to outlast their owners and provide phenomenally high performance rather
than trashy user interfaces. (For example, the FHF's development work on
the Enhanced Mobility All-terrain Cargo Shifter (Emacs, for short)
resembles a nuclear-powered Hummvee; seats are optional and there's no
air conditioning, but it can carry up to six tons of cargo, has six
multiply-redundant power transmission circuits, an auxilliary steam
engine, active suspension, and autonomous microsat launch capability
(you think we'd trust PROPRIETARY SOLUTIONS like NavStar or Glonass?!?).
It's the go-anywhere surface terrain vehicle of choice for alternative
technology geeks who aren't afraid of a little plutonium under the hood.
Besides, who needs air conditioning when you've got coolant, air
scrubber, and power interfaces for your space suit? (NB: degrees in
aerospace and nuclear engineering may be required to make full use of
all facilities built in this vehicle. There is no warranty, but if it
doesn't out-last you by 200 years we haven't designed it right.)"
-- Charlie
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