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Towards Self-Replicating Rapid Prototypers
Neil Halelamien writes "Researchers at the University of Bath are developing a rapid prototyping machine capable of making copies of itself and other products, reminiscent of the Universal Constructor proposed by von Neumann. The so-called Replicating Rapid-Prototyper (or RepRap) would produce items from raw materials and small components like microchips. If successful, this could make rapid prototyping cheap enough for regular in-home usage, especially since the project's lead, Dr. Adrian Bowyer, will be releasing his project's designs under the GNU GPL. It's previously been proposed that a similar system would be useful for space exploration and industrialization."
The RIAA has finally met their match...
Black holes mentioned earlier, now self-replicating robots. We're screwed.
This will be GPL'd. I don't know how the copyright cartels would react if a machine could make illegal copies of itself.
What?
If the good doctor were to suddenly die in the next four years, I'd start lining my baseball caps.
JUST when Apothis regains control of the only weapon with which to defeat the Replicators.
Apparently there already is a self-replicating system out there; the system is capable of manufacturing virtually any kind of tool, machine or technology known. To make new copies of itself, it uses only common materials from the environment- water, oxygen, vegetable matter, protein, and that kind of thing. Unfortunately, top computer scientists and engineers are having trouble figuring out the self-replication process. Apparently, it involves some mysterious mechanism known as "sex", which takes place with a "woman". Anyone else know any more about this?
...this is how tribbles got started.
Louis Riel walks into a taxidermist and gets arrested. There was a mounted police officer inside.
Man- when I was a kid- it was so hard to get porn. There was one magazine that was handed down year after year. Soon- kids will be able to download and manufacture their own sex toys. Man- I grew up in the wrong era.
In light of what you said, it's evident that we must not ever let this thing see the light of day.
Actually what you really want to do is to build a set of evolving self-assembling robots that get their parts by disassembling other robots. That way there is evolutionary pressure to evolve faster and faster self-assemblers.
Some drink at the fountain of knowledge. Others just gargle.
Anyone else read that as "Torvalds Self-Replicating Rapid Prototypers?" For a moment I thought Linus had found a better way to maintain the kernel.
I'm sorry mate, you gtot that all wrong. It should be :
In Soviet Russia, prototypes replicate YOU!
YES, but do they have to use *.doc format?
When did e.e. cummings get a Slashdot account?