Star Trek 'matter replicators' are fast becoming a reality!

Imagine a machine capable of building anything at all one atom at a time. Food, clothing, electronics anything you can think of.

With personal computing power set to increase by 1000 times within the next 7 years scientists are saying this machine called a personal fabricator could be in wide scale commercial use within 20 years.

But now the very people in the best position to know how CPU performance will grow (such as Shekhar) are cautioning us that our CPUs will be performing ANOTHER ONE-THOUSAND-TIMES FASTER, at One-Million-MIPS (that's 1,000 BIPS, or 1 TIPS (Trillions of Instructions Per Second)), JUST SEVEN YEARS FROM NOW!
www.theharrowgroup.com...

Stereolithography is a process that turns computer generated models of anything in to the real life matter of your desired object.

Neil Gershenfeld, director of MIT's Center for Bits & Atoms in an article published by Edge states:

I've even been taking my twins, now 6, in to use MIT's workshops; they talk about going to MIT to make things they think of rather than going to a toy store to buy what someone else has designed." ...

"I had an epiphany last summer: that for about ten thousand dollars on a desktop, [they could, within limits, do this today!]

What makes this possible is that space and time have become cheap. For a few thousand dollars a little tabletop milling machine can measure its position down to microns, a fraction of the size of a hair, and so you can fabricate the structures of modern technology such as circuit boards for components in advanced packages. And a little 50-cent microcontroller can resolve time down below a microsecond, which is faster than just about anything you might want to measure in the macroscopic world. Together these capabilities can be used to emulate the functionality of what will eventually be integrated into a personal fabricator."
www.theharrowgroup.com...

We are really not far off having a vending machine sized personal fabricator in your own home. Imagine how that could change the world. Its an amazing thought. And to think it might just be a possibility in our lifetimes.

Here is something else Neil said in this article that made me laugh:

I have a student working on this project who can graduate when his thesis walks out of the printer, meaning that he can output the document along with the functionality for it to get up and walk away
www.theharrowgroup.com...

The article i am referring to for this information can be accessed by the relevant links above. And this link below:

www.theharrowgroup.com...

And if you prefer to watch instead of read then you can also watch a documentary with Michio Kaku that goes into this matter in some detail here:

video.google.co.uk...


So what does everyone think?

I sincerely hope it is true. In the Star Trek universe, it was matter replication that finally put an end to a money-based economy and most homeworld friction.

Of course, it will be regulated, highly. People would be able to replicate all sorts of questionable substances, otherwise. How would the government stop one from replicating crack, for instance?

But on the other hand, most crime having to do with illegal drugs is to obtain money to buy it, so maybe it wouldn't be a bad thing after all.

The corporate overlords will no doubt find a way to stop the technology. What would be the point of manufacturing and selling stuff if nobody would be there to buy it? The addiction to profit is going to be a hard one for some people and organizations to let go of.

reply to post by MajorMalfunction


Yes i very much agree it's literally a race between the elite taking control and how fast the technology can be developed.

Who knows though 20 years is a long time maybe there will be peace on earth by then. No harm in thinking positively

Maybe the way they will control it is by the use of the Internet2.

It's possible you may not be able to use a replicator without it being plugged to the net due to "the incredible amount of data transfer needed" (theoretical media spin on why you can't own your own).

Combine the net2 with an RFID chip and you could be charged for the use of the data transfer and replication process.

By the time this becomes reality, we may be either so dumbed down and controlled that this is a likely scenario. Or, we've broken free and individual replicators are available everywhere.

The main problem with a replicator system is that you can't have a copyright on it. Every replicator could replicate a replicator.

Build a big enough replicator and you can replicate replicators at a nice size to fit into every replicated home for millions of replicated people.
Nobody ever need to do work again.

[edit on 6-1-2008 by Extralien]

All I have to say is.... I'll be in my ready room.... Earl Grey hot.

reply to post by MajorMalfunction


You hit something in my mind……..think about it…..everyone gets what they wont….no need to save up for something…..no starving children…no homeless….no snobbery rich…everyone gets what they wont….

Why would though the… “corporate overlords” wont to keep their power of us if they don’t have to bother trying up new ways to control us, if everyone gets what they wont, everyone’s happy, no chaos….no need to control people….i think most of the reason for the need for mass population control is because of the chaos now going on in the world….if everyone got what they wont…..everyone would be happy….complete wealth and all….. the “corporate overlords” would be like…..well now they can take care of themselves….they don’t need to be controlled they aren’t going to run amuck because they’re poor and full of distress because of their crappy lives…..

Just a thought……………

Originally posted by andre18
i think most of the reason for the need for mass population control is because of the chaos now going on in the world….

Uhhh, they create much of the chaos and stifle through harsh austerity programs, usorious interest rates, forceful occupations, and the sponsoring of terror and death squads.

the “corporate overlords” would be like…..well now they can take care of themselves…

Do you really believe that those in power would be so willing to give it up? What makes you think they act only out of concern for the wellbeing of their fellow man? What actions do they take to make sure we are ok?

.they don’t need to be controlled they aren’t going to run amuck because they’re poor and full of distress because of their crappy lives…..

Great wealth creates great poverty*

If it wasnt for the poor farming serfs, there would be no rich feudal lords. *They create great poverty for the benefit of themselves.

Propaganda much?

*=Paraphrase or direct quote from Michael Parenti.

If it's the same process as I saw about 2 yrs ago..It's just a 3d printer.

You scan the dimensions of the object to be copied and away goes the 'printer ' on the other side building up layers of 'ink'.

Jedimiller is working on a different method with his trans-warp hotdog experiments.. www.belowtopsecret.com...

If you could use the microwave to break down the electro-molecular bond holding our cells together then you could transmit them down a telephone line..

You just might need a modified 'George Foreman grill ' to rebond at the other side tho

Jedimiller is working on a different method with his trans-warp hotdog experiments.. www.belowtopsecret.com...

man...................this guy...........WTF can i say........

man like.....i'd like to say something nice but...........

WTF........................

I saw this thread which is what prompted me to join abovetopsecret.com . The attempt to replicate (i.e. create) matter has been opened up to the public. Since February of this year, the Matter Replicator Development Community will have a new outlet for their passions, studies, and attempts to create or replicate matter. There on site you will find FREE blueprints for building a cyclcone (affordable) particle accelerator, a place to upload and download small applications (i.e. calculators), and a forum to trade new scientific discoveries and get answers to questions about the science and technology behind creating matter. The URL is creation.freei.me... and I'll see you at the site.

P.S. In our news section at the bottom you will see that the Stanford Linear Accelerator Team has succefully proven that matter can be created. Using light they have accomplished this feat.

reply to post by creativescience


Might be easier to use entanglement theory - saves on energy.

-m0r

reply to post by MajorMalfunction
The problem is, and probably always will be is that the mad meglomaniacal corporate america will never tolerate all being happy. Even if say that was not a factor and everyone had a replicator. Who would run the infrastructure? If money became a thing of the past and all had what they wanted, what motivation would there be to get up in the morning to keep things running? The selfish, brutal mindset of today would have to change radicaly. For as long as possible political arch criminals wroking with corporate thugs would hold on to this tech. as long as they could. When they could not, or found out that soon enough they would be unwanted..and rightly so and uneeded. They would take the whole world down with them. Currently this tech would probably wreck the world as many would be making everything from bombs to drugs to all other things dangerouse and unwise falling into the hands of those that definetly should not have them. The top of the list being corporate America and Government along with numerouse mentaly disturbed people.

Also it may not be a good thing for all to have what ever they needed for life. Who would be interested in developing better technologies? A mass sedentary lifestyle would ensue, at least with todays mindset. I would welcome it dispite all of these things! To think that this idea is no longer fantasy but could be done and sooner than possible thought!

Thank you for this thread, I love good news like this. I myself had always imagined, that, if we can come up with a Star Trek matter replicator, could we get rid of all our garbage that same way? Everytime I throw my garbage out to the dumpster, I feel guilty, knowint they are going to further insult the environment adding more crap to the landfill. I wonder if we could come up with a matter (atomic level) deconstructor. Make sure it is programmed with sensors to detect that your bag doesn't contain anything living (psychopaths putting kittens or babies in there, etc.)

Could you imagine Iran producing warheads in the replicator. One at a time. Or a hacker sending a warhead to a replicator somewhere on the web. Sounds very dangerous.