7 ms·
The self-replication assumes also that there is enough energy stored in each planet (or coming from a Sun) to do the work... That is pretty much unlikely.
by pfortuny 2mo ago
The self-replication assumes also that there is enough energy stored in each planet (or coming from a Sun) to do the work... That is pretty much unlikely.
- alwa 2mo agoAnd stored in the specific forms the machine can exploit. Over a long enough timescale, though… really, really slow solar trickle charge to a space-capacitor bank? A thousand years’ suns, culminating in a glorious orgy of smelting?
- M95D 2mo agoUnless the capacitor breaks down before it's charged, one of the main problems discussed in the article.
- asdff 2mo agoAny chemical bond is a potential source of energy. Plenty of sources of potential energy too able to be converted to work.
- saulpw 2mo agoThat's the source, but for chemical reactions you also need a sink. For instance gasoline is not usable as an energy source without an oxidant. Take away the oxygen in Earth's atmosphere (an asteroid has no atmosphere at all) and now gasoline has no potential energy available. Asteroids have no available oxidants (regolith was already fully oxidized long ago).
- pfortuny 2mo agoAs long as you can get an exogenous reaction from it, which is not guaranteed at all.