View source for Why ultra-compact molecular assemblers are not desirable

[[File:OutdatedMolecularAssemblersConceptualIllustrations.jpg|400px|thumb|right|'''OUTDATED CONCEPT''' several highly conceptual illustrations of diamondoid molecular assemblers. Common traits: Just one or two manipulators, a gastight hull enclosing everything, full selfreplicativity, very small size ~100nm, more or less optionally some sort of mobility some swimming others here unspecified]]
[[File:self-replicating-assembler-unit.png|thumb|'''OUTDATED CONCEPT''' Artistic depiction of a mobile assembler unit capable of self replication (linked to a "crystal" of assemblers and thus not ''free floating''). An outdated idea.]]
Up: [[Molecular assembler]]

== Political danger from perception-of-danger and perception-of-perception-of-danger (heavily meta) ==

See: [[The negative effects that public overexcitement can have]], [[history]]

The actual reasons for why [[molecular assemblers]] are outdated are the technical ones. <br>
That they are too difficult to make and to inefficient to be attractive. <br>
The political danger for the ones wanting to develop the technology just adds to the pile. <br>

There are some people that convinced themselves that diamondoid [[molecular assemblers]] exist, <br>
have already escapes, and that they now suffer from a disease caused from them. <br>
They call it "morgellons".

There where first terror attacks where a university reveived a bomb in the mail. <br>
With a subsequent declaration that it was due to the institutes work on certain kinds of nanotech that <br>
the terrorist assocatied with [[molecular assemblers]].

== How much actual physical danger? ==

=== Now: safe ===

As of today (2023) there is still no danger whatsoever. <br>
This will most likely get relevant only in several decades. <br>

=== Future horror fantasy ===

Fantasy is the [[grey goo horror horror fable]] of [[molecular asseblers]] gettinng out of control <br>
and converting the whole biosphere into copies in a few days or even just hours.
* There are hard energy limitations
* "digesting" any sort of matter is problem too difficult for ultra-compact self-replicators. 
* these things fundamentally can't evolve to adapt to new sorts of feedstock
So there are three sides of the [[Reproduction hexagon]] missing more or less effectively.

=== Future reality ===

Once gemstone based APM is a major technology <br>
And nanofactories can be used to make stupid stuff like [[molecular assemblers]] (likely not so ultra-compact ones)<br>
This is still needing a lot of design and programming, but AI progresses, so who knows … <br>

Most at risk are: 
* areas providing an energy supply (usually light or chemical)
* areas carrying completely homogeneous standard molecule usable as feedstock
* areas that are well protected from radiation (atmosphere has UV)

According to these criteria specifically vulnerable:
* the human bloodstream (especially not nice, chemical energy source sugar & oxygen)
* surface water (there is energy form light but no damaging UV radiation)
These especially warrent some closer analysis. <br>
Anyone with the skill fining the time to do so greatly appreciated.

Selfreplicative micro-(~1µ) and meso-(>50µ) and even milli-(>1mm) bots might be more dangerous as they pack much more capability. <br>
But following this train of thought one eventually ends up at the topic of <br>
[[gem-gum-tech]] based warfare. Which is obviously a super serious and highly concerning danger.

The technology is not to blame here. Just like with fire. <br>
It can be used for good or for bad.

== Related ==
* Up: [[Molecular assembler]]
* '''[[Proto-assembler]]'''
* '''[[Molecular assemblers as advanced productive nanosystem (outdated)]]'''
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* [[Why ultra-compact molecular assemblers are too inefficient]]
* [[Why ultra-compact molecular assemblers are too difficult]]
* [[Grey goo horror fable]], [[Reproduction hexagon]], [[Replication pentagon]]
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For A better approach for the [[direct path]] see [[Early nanosystem pixel (direct path)]].