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sappatoti -> RE: Are the Replicators Coming? (4/12/2009 2:31:19 PM)
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ORIGINAL: MarsBonfire
Okay... (he says, flexing his "nerd" muscles) just supposeing that we did somehow create nano-tech machines that could reassemble themselves into various forms... AND let's suppose they were artificially intelligent (capable of self awareness, and curious about the universe around them)
Why would that be a bad thing?
That would not necessarily be anything to be feared, provided that human-kind could keep an open mind about the emergence of these nanotech beings as their own sentient life form. Given the things that we humans have done to other life forms throughout our history thus far, it doesn't appear that we are ready to accept a life-form we created as an equal to ourselves, in my opinion.
In a perfect utopian world we should not fear self-aware, sentient mechanical life.
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ORIGINAL: MarsBonfire
Science fiction has gotten far too hung up on this "Frankenstien Syndrome" thing. Maybe... just maybe... the little nano critters would be a boon to us. Symbiosis. After all, we wouldn't be in competition with them for food supplies, would we? More than likely, they would be solar powered.. you know, like the early machines in the Matrix movies.
One would not think that humans and nanotech life forms would be competing for the same supplies but, can we be so sure? For example, let us think about the potential situation where the nanites, through their own learning and experimentation, decide that their best source of energy is the same that we use as our food (since solar energy isn't available in the Earth's crust or deep within its oceans). Then what?
I agree that sci-fi, in general, has cast technological beings as being monsters. Conflict sells stories. It would be nice to think that if something like the Replicators were to be developed, we could all just get along. Unfortunately, with power-hungry humans in the mix, I fear that such technological beings, if constructed and allowed to evolve, may pick up at least some of the eccentricities of humans. In essence, they could be as lovable and/or as hateful as humans are now. We all know how well humans, in general, deal with all of these eccentricities within ourselves.
quote:
ORIGINAL: MarsBonfire
Of course, my mind tends to run along different paths... I wonder how you could turn something like the replicators into sex toys....
The mind boggles!
In the early days of Replicator-type machines, they could be controlled via their software/firmware to do whatever we humans would like them to do. Given enough advances in AI however, those machines may become self-aware enough to decide for themselves whether to form into sex toys for human entertainment. I am sure that if enough of the little buggers were exposed to BDSM concepts, those nanites that have an affinity for those concepts could enjoy taking roles within the lifestyle.
A free-flying dominant whip, under the control of no one, whipping a submissive human... interesting.
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