RE: Nanotech Arms Race

From: Billy Brown (bbrown@conemsco.com)
Date: Wed Jan 27 1999 - 07:48:14 MST


Eliezer S. Yudkowsky wrote:
> Yeah, but a bunch of nanobots can link arms and turn themselves into
> robots on any desired scale - and self-repair, and disintegrate into a
> cloud of dust if anyone comes looking. That's part of what I meant
> about it being absurd to say that nanotech is less powerful than
> macrotech. Nanobots can simulate robots any time, and the simulations
> can do things that blunt robots can't.

Yes, but that only gives you a gross mechanical approximation of a larger
robot. If you want any kind of specialized equipment (and you usually
will), your nanobots can't simulate it directly. Besides, I get the feeling
you're comparing the swarm of nanobots to a 20th century robot, which is
hardly the appropriate standard.

Give me a day or two to work up a good example of the kind of system I'm
talking about, and let do a comparison of capabilities.

Billy Brown, MCSE+I
bbrown@conemsco.com



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