[ExI] Sick of Cyberspace?

[Eugen Leitl]

On Sat, Dec 19, 2009 at 11:21:34AM -0500, Mike Dougherty wrote:

> Again, DNA is available and being used right now (albeit primitively).

Again, I am aware, and I kept plugging using biology for bootstrap
in machine-phase circles in early 1990s. Everybody thought it
wasn't needed, and we'd have self rep by now. Well, we don't.
In fact, less than 10 people are still working on machine-phase,
and it's mostly computational work. We still can't solve the
inverse protein folding problem worth spit, and even DNA for
scaffolding is in its infancy. 

> Machine-phase nano-magic is still only being talked about... Unless y'all
> have been withholding links to interesting science?

An interesting paper in regards to machine-phase is hitting mainstream
at least once a year. Unfortunately most interesting things are hidden
behind a paywall. Feel free to subscribe and to contribute to 
	http://postbiota.org/pipermail/nano/
 
> > The distinction is artificial in practice, and if we're, say, using
> > graphene/diamond spintronics as a optimal substrate it isn't for
> > some magic reasons. It's just carbon is special in that it makes nicely
> > stable chains and cages which no other element can as well. From
> > that property stem other remarkable thermal and electronic properties.
> > Of course it won't be pure carbon, whether it's nitrogen vacances,
> > SiC islets or transition metal groups in active machine-phase
> > or synthetic enzyme centers.
> >
> 
> Oh.. well then.. I guess... uh... I'll just take a nap until all they get it
> all worked out.  :)

I am describing science as it develops. None of the above is invented.
If you want to see it all worked out to full conclusion, your nap will
have to be of the cryogenic variety, I'm afraid. Unless we pull a quick
AI runaway things will continue to develop at human time scale, which is
too slow for comfort. Assuming I'm at all alive 40-50 years from now
I'm unlikely to give a damn. 

-- 
Eugen* Leitl <a href="http://leitl.org">leitl</a> http://leitl.org
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