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Scientists Developed Artificial Structures That Can Self-Replicate
First time accepted submitter mphall21 writes "New York University scientists have developed artificial structures that can self-replicate, a process that has the potential to yield new types of materials. In the natural world, self-replication is ubiquitous in all living entities, but artificial self-replication has been elusive. The new discovery is the first steps toward a general process for self-replication of a wide variety of arbitrarily designed seeds."
Towards Grey goo.
Or big nations making mechanical viruses as weapons, and ultimately... those creations at risk of being turned against their creator through malfunction, hackers, or worse.
...they've created an artificial structure that can self-replicate. The bad news is that it's Ice-9.
If this thing self-replicates to resemble a Robert Patrick, we're all screwed.
...if you are allowed to have complex raw materials.
Fire self replicates. Fallen-down dominoes self-replicate. The line between "chain reaction" and "self replication" is very blurry.
They took DNA, a natural structure that can replicate, and modified it without breking that property. I wouldn't call it artificial self-replication.
I see the first five responses were about science fiction scenarios in which nanomachines destroyed human life.
All that's really necessary to prevent the machines from getting out of control, however, is to design them with some chemical dependencies. If it needs gold or it can only incorporate carbon from certain uncommon molecules to grow then it can't get very far. Plus, natural selection will be true in part with any self-replicating thing. If they get out they'll have to struggle for resources just like any other form of life. There isn't any reason to automatically assume they'll be better at it simply because they're artificial.
There are even scenarios in which it might be nice to design nanomechanical organisms with the express purpose of setting them free; I'd sure like an organism that got along by fixing the carbon in carbon monoxide, the ozone in smog, and the nitrogen in nitrogen dioxide to replicate itself. It could make Los Angeles habitable again, and its reproduction would be limited to the rate at which we produce pollutants.
The Remote Self-Replicating Robot Explorer Probe. Be afraid.
I've also heard that the "grey goo" scenario is a bit overstated given that:
Organisms have already evolved optimal survival strategies over the millennia and if nanobots were made of organic material they would be "prey" to some of these.
- and -
The energy requirements for taking on such a task is unlikely to be satisfied in the current environment (especially if made of non organic materials)
stock up on bullets
Moya?
Self replication of artifices (self repairs..) is what is going to be needed to long term voyages.
"The avalanche has already started. It's too late for the pebbles to vote." - Kosh
Just when I thought I couldn't get any lower as a bachelor...machines go and gain the ability to replicate - I can't even do that!
PS: I don't reply to ACs.
Also FTFA:
no biological components, particularly enzymes, are used in its execution
So no, not PCR or PCR-like, as such processes require enzymes.
Remember though, there is no animal on earth that is superior to a simple rifle. We're quite capable of building a bionuke, intelligence goes to places evolution never would or perhaps could.
You're drawing a line where none exists, and in the wrong place to boot.
Engineers develop useful, practical things. Things that serve a particular need, that can be made economically, etc.
Scientists develop things, too, but they aren't as often concerned with the direct utility or practicality of what they develop. For instance what these scientists developed is an ingenious proof-of-concept that could eventually be developed into a practical procedure for replicating materials, possibly by a chemical engineer.
However scientists also frequently develop practical, useful things. The PCR process you have seen mentioned in this thread is incredibly useful and practical, and was developed by a chemist.
Sometimes the line gets really blurry, like in the development of a new technology for silicon IC fabrication. The material science and the material engineering are closely coupled and it's hard to say specifically which is which in a given case, outside of edge cases.
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