There can be sudden changes in the future. It can jump into view when technology is involved. It's possible that self-replicating machines are that way. Is it possible to combine 3D printing with in-situ resources to build space probes?
The engineer thinks it could happen sooner than later. That has consequences for SETI.
Alex is a professor at a Canadian university. The author and co-author of many papers and articles is Ellery.
There is an article on Cambridge Core titled "Self-replicating probes are imminent - implications for SETI". He talks about how we are already building self-replicating machines though they have their limitations. If any exist, they should have developed them as well, he1-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-6556 is1-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-6556 He thinks SETI could focus on finding evidence of probes instead of scanning the sky for radio signals.
There are a lot of concepts familiar to Universe Today readers. biomimicry can be used to create self-replicating space probes. TRIZ is a theory of inventive problem solving that matches biomimetic solutions to technological problems and self-replicating probes are an example.
We are pretty sure that other solar systems have an asteroid belt. Our expansion into space is expected to be aided by asteroid mining. asteroids are likely to be used for raw materials in self- replicating probes. There are some problems associated with that, and biomimicry may be able to solve them.
The microgravity environment is a problem in asteroid mining. A machine's mass isn't enough to keep it attached to an object. The wood wasp could be used to anchor a machine to an asteroid. He writes that it uses two longitudinal sections that penetrate through a dual-reciprocating mechanism. A surgical tool based on the wasp's drill and ovipositor has already been developed by scientists.
The current state of 3D printing is discussed.
We don't pay much attention to 3D printing. When it comes to self-replicating probes, Ellery has a strong opinion of 3DP and AM. Some of the advances are discussed by Ellery.
Several examples of 3D printing are presented in the article. A motor is one of them.
A paper about the invention of a 3D-printed electrical motor was published by the two men. The iron core, winding, insulation, and permanent magnet were made using Additive Manufacturing. 3D printing and Additive Manufacturing will be possible with self-replicating probes. There will likely be no difference between the two.
This is definitely progress since there is still a long way to go from an electric motor to a self-replicating probe. There is a 3D-printed electric motor that could be used to power every star system.
Readers of Universe Today know about light sails. A solar sail uses mirrors to catch the radiation pressure from a star in the same way a sailboat catches the wind. In 1610 Johannes Kepler wrote to Galileo about the idea. Light sails have been tested.
Light sails will be part of self-replicating probes.
Light sails are made from thin films of Mylar and Kapton. Light sails built by self-replicating machines could be made of Silicone Elastomer. Silicon is found in asteroids and is the second most abundant element. The mineral anorthite has aluminum in it.
The self-replicating probes could be used to make light sails. It is unclear if 3D printing can be implemented with extremely thin layers, but we have demonstrated the viability of the deposition of aluminum onto silicone plastic.
Important progress has been made by Ellery and his colleagues. The principle of using molten aluminum alloy with silicone plastics simultaneously is a major step towards 3D printing metal/plastic in integrated components.
Light sails use strong supports. Future self-replicating probes will be able to manufacture the support and unfurling mechanism needed for the sails. He says modularity is important. There is no reason why the interstellar sail can't be built using the production capacity of self-replicating machines.
There is an idea of a universal self-replicating machine in the article. They were able to reproduce and spread throughout the universe. He writes that asteroids have a wide range of materials for feeding the self-replicating machine. Assuming two offspring per generation, the entireGalaxy could be colonized within 24 generations.
There is still a lot of work to be done in the area of self-replicating machines. The current self-replication scheme ensures that the fundamental technologies can be developed in short order.
If we are close to doing it, wouldn't we also do it? He claims that self-replicating probes should have been developed if they existed.
There are risks to developing self- replicating machines. It could be difficult to live with or impossible to control advanced artificial intelligence. In science fiction, it is a well- explored trope.
The usefulness of self-replicating machines is more important than the concerns. The notion of self-replication technology being developed for fear of its potential dangers is marginalized by the utility of self-replication technology.
SETI should try to detect technosignatures related to self-replicating probes active in asteroid belts of other solar systems. He argues that if the aliens exist, they have already developed self-replicating probes and may have passed through our solar system. There should be proof if they did.
We haven't found any proof yet. We are not close to an extensive search. The only body in the Solar System that has been imaged in detail is the Moon. There is no evidence of large structures or large-scale mining in our solar system. At the very least there should be clay particles.
From the lack of evidence, he concludes that there is no evidence to support the existence of aliens. The most plausible hypothesis is that there isn't any. We shouldn't stop looking for them. The search can be used for something else. It requires SETI searches to try to disprove the hypothesis in order to be valid. The scientific method should not be taken precedence over empirical falsification, argues Karl Popper.
It's too early to conclude that there isn't anything. The main thrust of the article doesn't change even if they do or don't. The best way to explore and expand into the universe is by using self-replicating machines.
The self-replicating machine is the most powerful machine in the world.
All Rights Reserved © 2024
