Thinking about replicators
Al posted in General on May 15th, 2007
Welcome to my blog. It’s been a long time coming but I have finally made my first post. As I have waited so long to make a post I thought I’d better make it a good one. I recently bought a nice little pocket notebook to jot down thoughts that pop into my head that I don’t want to lose in that vast void that is my mind. I have about six ideas written down now so I had to pick one. It was a tough choice, ranging from “why, in my opinion, strange slap-stick type comedies suck” to “which power would you prefer, bending space or time?” but I picked one which I actually think is a good idea. Let’s see what you think.
The ultimate X Prize
Have you heard of the X-Prize? It is basically a foundation setup to award monetary prizes to people/companies who solve the greatest challenges facing the world today. The last X Prize won required a non-governmental organization to launch a reusable manned spacecraft into space twice within two weeks. Impressive huh? Yeah sure, manned spacecrafts into space is all well and good but what about replicators? Yes, replicators. The ability to create any object you have the blueprint for from hydrogen atoms. I don’t actually know much about replicators, so I assume hydrogen atoms as they are the most basic. Star Trek never went into much detail.
Why replicators?
Well a replicator, in theory, will allow you to replicate any object known to man. You could replicate food, water or a solid gold diamond encrusted turd. You name it. It would solve world hunger, fresh water shortages, create expensive medicines. I’m sure most of the benefits would only come apparent when the whole world has one. I mentioned “expensive” which should ring a few bells. The amount of powerful, rich people you would upset with this kind of technology would be pretty much every powerful and rich person on this planet. There would be no need for money, no need for you to buy anything ever again. I mean if all it took was for you to select a blueprint on a computer you could download and pirate not just digital media (which has pissed a few companies off already) but you could also pirate any object on this planet. You can imagine a situation like this:
Jim : Hey, I like the looks of that juicy fat t-bone steak you are eating. Can I have a copy?
Bob : Sure, I’ll stick it in an email for you.
Jim : Thanks. I also like the look of your jeans, pop that in too! Oh and your car. And that solid gold diamond encrusted turd you keep carrying around with you.
Bob : Yeah, why not.
What’s the point in a prize?
This is where another problem comes in. Prize money is little incentive as if I just invented a replicator; a few million pounds would be of little interest. I’d just replicate me up some cash or screw cash; I’d just replicate me up anything I wanted. This is where my idea comes into play. Create a bank account which will be owned by every person on this planet. It will be a joint world account that anyone can put money into. Bank statements are publicly available via the Internet. People can donate money into the fund so that this technology can be created. They can also have the kudos of saying they helped save the world from its ills. A list can be available of people who have donated with the amount they donated. Once the replicator has been invented it then belongs to the world. This generation and every generation afterwards. Blueprints are freely available to anyone who wants it. Most people won’t be able to do anything with the blueprints as I’m sure it won’t be made out of MDF and glue but once you have one replicator you can replicate another and another. Just a matter of time before everyone has one.
Another problem
Another problem I thought of is what’s to stop a lazy sponge of a scientist to sit back and milk the X-Fund. “Yeah sure I’ll make you a replicator-dilly-thingamajig” they will say. Well, as this is a world project owned by the people of this planet, why not let them decide. Democratic voting to see who gets the X-Funding. The scientists can post their results on the web and the people can decide if they are worthy of the funding. If your research is not cutting the grade the funding stops. You can reapply but you will have to be voted in again for funding.
Having the voting on the web does exclude a few billion people on this planet but I’m sure poorer nations would love for the whole world to be on equal footing. Rich nations would no longer be rich and poor nations would no longer be poor. Poorer nations could setup public web terminals for people to vote or donate.
Eventually the technology would put everyone out of a job and the whole world would change fundamentally. As I said before, the implications probably won’t be realised until it happens. No more wage slavery and no more poverty. As far as I can see, people will be free to do as they please. If they want to be free creative human beings, they will be able to. If they want to sit around smoking the finest weed known to man, they will be able to. Of course this is wishful thinking and I’m sure Governments will have something to say about free individuals. There is also the problem with land (I can replicate a house but where would I put it?) and energy (perhaps replicate some solar panels) but it’s getting late and I have written far more than I expected. I’d like hear your thoughts on that matter.
Thanks for reading
May 16th, 2007 at 10:38 am
Hi Aled,
Hooray, I’m your first comment on this long awaited post. Just had to get that in . Busy at the moment though so will post a more relevant comment at lunchtime
Sam
ps. You seem to have a bit of a thing for solid gold diamond encrusted turd
May 16th, 2007 at 1:10 pm
Hi Al, here’s another comment.
I think the reason for the x-prize being for a non-governmental organization to launch a reusable manned spacecraft into space twice within two weeks and not a replicator is because the former is actually achievable using todays technology, just shit-loads of money. The latter has only ever existed in the star-trek world, maybe it will be possible one day, maybe the motivation of millions of pounds might kick-start the scientific world into the development of this kind of product.
Would be kinda great though, y’know, being able to make your own solid gold diamond encrusted shit whenever you wanted, you could build a whole house outta the stuff.
May 16th, 2007 at 1:40 pm
Nice post Al, very well written.
Time to get my nerd on:
Replicators have been gone into in surprising detail in the tech manuals. They don’t work on hydrogen as far as I remember, but on sub-atomic particles mostly taken from the waste products of the ship. So that tea (Earl Grey, hot) was, moments before, a pile of biological waste. Also, replicators in the Trek world are unable to replicate anything complex - which is why you never see machines or living entities being replicated.
Something I’ve always questioned is - why do we not see anyone taking bathroom breaks in Trek? Do they simply beam out the poo so you never need sit on the lavatory?
May 16th, 2007 at 2:49 pm
Thanks for the posts guys.
Sam : I realise the technology is still currently in the realm of science fiction. The reason I picked replicators is that it would have such a huge impact on the world. Commercial space craft would have a big affect (once it gets going) but no where near as big as replicators. I also feel that something like an X-Fund would be the only way to get replicators invented in todays capitalist world. Replicators do not make people rich and powerful. In fact they do the exact opposite. Saying that, replicators could be so far away that the world they are invented in is completely different from todays.
Matt : I actually thought while I was writing this that someone must of written about replicators in great detail but didn’t look into it.
I have also thought about the beaming of things in and out of bodies. Beaming food in and poo out. You could also beam the dirt off your body or a big hit from a bong into your lungs. Just think of the possibilities…
May 16th, 2007 at 3:04 pm
I’d not write off replicators just yet. There are a lot of ‘impossible’ things from StarTrek that exist today. Portable computer storage. Voice recognition. Communicators (mobile phones). Even cloaking is a reality now (though limited). I vaguely recall that transporters have been made, but they work on the photon level only atm.
Replicators aren’t much different from transporters (though I think we are centuries away from either of those working as they do in Trek).
I’m waiting for my holodeck and skins.be 3D.
May 16th, 2007 at 5:13 pm
Haha, I can’t wait for that either. Although I have to say, the worst job in the future will be a public holodeck cleaner. Certainly one for the robots.
May 17th, 2007 at 9:52 am
That Photon Transporter Matt mentioned was done down the road at Bangor:
http://www.studyoverseas.com/uk/uked/quantum.htm