It isn’t even a real device yet, just a daydream.
That’s exactly what they want you to think!
I never gave much thought to the possible perils of self-replicating, evolving machines until I read Michael Crichton’s Prey. Yes, I know that Crichton’s version of scientific and technological advances is skewed because he wants to tailor the facts to his plot. But in Prey, as in Jurassic Park, the point is made that there are some scientists and engineers who believe that if a thing can be done, it should be done. And that is a very scary thought indeed.
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Well, of course, someday, perhaps, maybe; but this is the same as showing me a machine that churns out soda cans and saying that someday it´ll evolve into a machine that churns 747s out.
I use the word “impossible” with great care, but a self replicating machine earns the label, IMO, if not for it´s technological (un)feasibility for practical purposes. For one the idea wouldn´t float as a business model, no company wants their products growing for free; for reference see the bruohaha regarding bio-engineered seeds.
As for space exploration purposes (the other application troted out), what´s better, sending up a 3 ton machine that can make computer chips for onsite manufacturing of exploration robots (and pray that it won´t broke down or it won´t find the necessary raw elements) or send up 1 ton of finished chips?
In a limited scale it could work, an autonomous machining shop would be very usefull, and quite possible with todays technology; an autonomous integrated circuit plant too, etc, etc; but integrating all that into a single, discrete machine, no way.
It was a good try though!
Heh. On the bright side, it’s good to know that we will forever have at least one significant advantage over the machine hordes: Our armies will never be stopped by a paper (plastic?) jam.
Hey, that´s what bureocrats are for!. 