Re: Nanotechnology

Thomas Heaney wrote:
> 
> I've just about finished reading a book called "NANO!" by Ed Regis,
> which is a fascinating book about nanotechnology(very basicaly, little
> robots building things atom by atom), and wondered if anyone has ever
> considered this as it relates to FT/DSII, or any other wargames.

	If you liked that, you should get a hold of "Engines of
Creation" by
the "father of nanotechnology" K. Eric Drexler.  It covers
nanotechnology and the social issues that it might raise.  He also wrote
another book on nanotechnology that's not as involved. It's title
escapes me right now.

> As far as I've thought about it at the moment, the main advantages it
> would give in FT are ship construction(program the robots to build a
> dirty great big Super Dreadnaught, go away and do something else, then
> come back when the're finished), and damage control (even MP's could
be
> repaired, just build new bulkhead's, etc. out of whatever slag was
left
> of the old one's).

	It would depened on just how advanced a civilization's nanotech
is. 
Civilizations with just "basic" nanotech could build part of ships (e.g.
engines, hulls, weapons, and other systems), while advanced nanotech
could build ships that can sprout weapons and systems, repair itself,
and modifiy it drive systems at a whim.  Heck, it would even need a
crew.	

> In the book "Until Releived" by Rick Shelly( ACE Science Fiction ISBN
0-
> 441-00019-3, DSII players should read this one), nanotechnology was
used
> to remove all trace of the parasails(ie reduce to their component
atoms)
> used by Special Forces troops prior to a surface assault.

	The military uses of nanotech would be scary.  Factories could
turn out
weapons and vehicles quickly and could made out of just about anything
that has the proper elements (dirt, garbage, human bodies, etc.).  That,
and you could build the ultimate "doomsday weapon"  using "replicators"
that just keep builing more and more of themselves until they devor the
entire planet.

> Anybody else have any thoughts on the subject.  I'd be interested to
> know.

	Hmmmm...give me a while, and I'll cook up a paper that will
knock your
eyes out.  After I knock you eyes out, I can tell you anything I want.

Later,
Mark S.