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From: pokey@well.UUCP
Newsgroups: sci.misc
Subject: Re: Engines of Creation: Nanotechnology
Message-ID: <4560@well.UUCP>
Date: Sun, 29-Nov-87 13:16:45 EST
Article-I.D.: well.4560
Posted: Sun Nov 29 13:16:45 1987
Date-Received: Wed, 2-Dec-87 20:05:29 EST
References: <1445@m-net.UUCP>
Organization: Paratheo-Anametamystikhood Of Eris Esoteric, Ada Lovelace Cabal
Lines: 18

In the referenced message, russ@m-net.UUCP (Russ Cage) wrote:
}In <2411@watcgl.waterloo.edu> kdmoen@watcgl.waterloo.edu (Doug Moen) writes:
}>[...]  If it *does* turn out to be possible to build Grey Goo,
}>then by the time fabrication technology catches up, perhaps we can have
}>a wide spectrum of Goo killing techniques already available.
}
}You have to find it first.  The difficulty is that, in order to decide
}if a particular bit of nanomachinery is Gray Goo (or a part thereof),
}you have to analyze its program to see if it ever quits reproducing.
}This is exactly equivalent to the halting problem, which is insoluble.

Congratulations, you've just proved that the human immune system is
equivalent to solving the halting problem, and therefore impossible.
---
Jef

              Jef Poskanzer   jef@lbl-rtsg.arpa   ...well!pokey
                    "Greetings from the World's Biggest."