Re: >H Bootstrapping to nanotech

Forrest Bishop (forrestb@ix.netcom.com)
Thu, 28 Aug 1997 19:05:25 -0500 (CDT)


Hagbard wrote:
>
>Transhuman Mailing List
>
>Does anyone have an educated estimate as to how long it will take
>nanotech researchers to bootstrap from Drexlerian engineered protein
>machines to the first assembler?

IMO, the sequencer (1985?) was the first assembler. It builds
atomically precise structures from feedstock according to
keyboard commands.

Merkle's website has a ton of stuff on
>*how* it might be done, but lacks (?) any estimates of the time frame.
>
>Related question: the consensus seems to be that we will have something
>between 2010 and 2020. But what will this "something" be?
>

Engineered protein molecular building blocks for a 3D printer.
3D micromachined SPM arrays making 'semi-precise' (precision in critical
features) whazits. 'Transition-tech' litho/molecular
factories, similar to current biotech on chip sensors.
Etc...

Forrest