Von Neumann Machines

[woody60707]

http://www.amazon.com/Von-Neumanns-War-John-Ringo/dp/1416520759

Yea, I've been meaning to read this book.

But yea, I think this is a spin on this other theory that said an intelligent life should be able to colonize most the habitable plants in the Galaxy in about 500 Million to 1 Billion years. The galaxy isn't that big when it comes to the speed of light. Hell the man made Helios 2 probe got up to speed that could cross the galaxy in a little over a Billion years.

Sure, a Billion years is a long time, but it's not like the Galaxy is going any place soon. Hell our Sun is going to be around for another 5 billion years.

 

[Silurian]

Greenfly takes a while to spread. Be patient.

Yes at least inhibitors have a purpose.

 

[Commodore]

In terms of application I would propose a few more relevant fields than deep space mining probes. Toxic waste management and recycling of such waste into new and refineable/collectable resources comes to mind. Also, you could have tiers of Von Neumann machines designed to clean up lower tiers and eventually "return it to base". The more tiers you have the more control of the von neumans you have since you can limit their task and potential for spreading beyond their original mandate. If you make a single unit that can perform a multitude of tasks you obviously run a risk of loosing control of it with catastropic effects or have it used as an unconventional weapon with the same catastropic effect. Edit: Also, it might be potential to use Von Neumans as a means of disposing of asteroids or comets that will crash into earth.

Hmm, that's a pretty good idea. I have always been so wrapped up in their potential for space exploration/exploitation that I never considered waste management as a good use for Von Neumann machines. If humanity really put forth the effort, I think we could have Von Neumanns that operate the way you described in a decade or two.

 

[Tani Coyote]

They very well could be slowly spreading across the universe. But I imagine these cultures probably have the same idea of cybernetic rebellion as we do and have invented countermeasures.

If not, well, we can prepare for assimilation!

Those on the Marxist side of things should herald the arrival of the machines - it would mean the end of capitalism, as labor and capital alike become obsolete.

 

[El_Machinae]

If they're self-replicating, then you increase the odds of it undergoing evolution. And then we get Berzerkers. The more advanced life out there, the greater the odds that there's some Berzerker cloud coming at us at a portion of c.

Because the machines need only carry genetic information (not cognitive information), you can program them to do a lot of different things. Send them out to build computronium scaffolds, and then transmit your consciousness there via radio.