Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!utgpu!water!watmath!clyde!rutgers!mit-eddie!bloom-beacon!think!ames!sdcsvax!ucsdhub!hp-sdd!hplabs!well!pokey 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."