Replication pentagon
This is basically the reproduction hexagon minus the "sufficient adaptivity" side.
It applies to all systems that are incapable of autonomous evolution e.g. by mutations.
The runaway accident analogy to the fire triangle still holds,
but the scope is more limited as replicators can't adapt to more environments beyond the one they where originally designed for.
To consider though is the possibility of adaption using macroscale minds (human and/or AI) for technical evolution though.
Contents
The four sides of the immobile self-replication square
There are five necessary requirements on selfreplicativity as found in the (outdated) molecular assembler concept.
Needed is:
- replication capability
- building block availability
- energy supply
- blueprint data mobility (a mere digital access to a central copy is sufficient, some redundancy is advisable though for resiliency)
- replicator mobility -- needed for the (outdated) molecular assembler concept
Not needed is:
- sufficient adaptivity -- needed only by biological life
Even less requirements
For systems which also pose no requirements on "replicator mobility" see: Immobile replication square.
These even further reduced requirements are what applies to gemstone metamaterial on-chip factories.
Choice of terminology
This wiki will use:
- "reproduction" to refer to systems where the reproduction hexagon applies -- life
- "replication" (or "unadaptive reproduction") to refer to systems where only the replication pentagon applies -- (outdated) molecular assemblers
- "copyficaton" (or "immobile replication") to systems where only the immobile replication square applies -- targeted gem-gum factories
Blurry grey zone
For systems that are mere replicative and not reproductive
to even emerge into existence there needs to be external intelligent actors
that do the development, maintenance and improvement on them.
At the current state of technology these
external intelligent actors can only be humans.
One could imagine that though that with progressing (software) technology
the creation maintenance and improvement of self replicative systems
could get increasingly automated with AI and even AGI.
At this point whether one considers this self replication or self reproduction is dependent what you consider the in-group and what the out-group. If you include the AGIs in control into when you say "we".
To note is:
- The reproductive "intelligence" is still not baled into the the systems in case they are compact nanoscale selfreplicating.
- This scenario is more or less targeted design technological evolution beyond natural evolution.
Macroscopic microscopic
- Biologic life needs to feature and does feature the whole reproduction hexagon.
- For the (outdated) microscopic molecular assemblers the replication pentagon applies. Not the reproduction hexagon.
- For the now targeted gem-gum factories the immobile replication square applies. Not the replication pentagon.
On a related note:
For early stage foldamer based precursor systems of gem-gum factories degree of mobility is still rather unclear.
A gradual emergence of self replicative capability in highly distributed multi agent systems seems likely.
IN early foldamer based precursor systems the "building block availability" part of the replication pentagon refers to special
foldamer building blocks that are difficult to pre-poduce. Making runaway replication accidents impossible.
Related
- reproduction hexagon - replication pentagon - copyfication square
- self replication
- exponential assembly
- It applies to the (outdated) molecular assembler concept
- It requires mobility which is not necessary for gem-gum on-chip factories
