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Pathways β¦



β¦ towards advanced gemstone based productive nanosystems.
β
Generally:
β Spectrum of pathways
β Bootstrapping methods for productive nanosystems
β Bridging the gaps
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Incremental path
β Central method: Thermally driven self assembly (Self-assembly in general is actually even more broad than that.)
β One big if not biggest blocker: Lack of proper termination control (one option: Algorithmic selfassembly)
β Escaping the window between:
β¦ Positional assembly redundancy blockade &
β¦ Thermal driven selfassembly diffusion speed slowdown blockade
β¦ (Wild ideas: Circumsembly & Squigglesembly)
β Expanding the kinematic loop in order to escape the finger problems
β Hierarchical selfassembly
β
Direct path
β Why force applying mechanosynthesis should work in brief
β Early diamondoid nanosystem pixel (direct path)
β¦ Potential early crystolecular building blocks & Potential early crystolecular mechanisms
β Convergent assembly & Sequence of zones
There were/are some tensions between the sides. For one case see: Pathway controversy
(2026) Not yet meaningfully experimentally accessible: Mixed path
β Mixed path (Inter technology binding)
Far term target of APM


β¦ as identified in Nanosystems via applying the methodology of exploratory engineering.
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Why gemstones?
β Oxidation and the fruit analogy; Atomically precise surface passivation
β Undesired cold-welding vs desired: Seamless covalent welding
β Averting room temperature surface diffusion on metals. (See also: Diffusion)
β
Why (mechanical) metamaterials?
β Gem-gum Superelasticity (wiki-TODO: Add two new graphics on that.)
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Why cogs-n-gears?
β They get the job done and are not a naive transfer of ideas on closer inspection.
πͺ€ Trapdoors
β
πͺ€ "Diffusion transport is free." (Friction in diffusion transport)
β No, Diffusion transport is not free. One has to pay the energy at toll stations that may have no "small change" to give back.
β¦ Heck cog-n-gear attachment chain trannsport may become even become more efficient than diffusion when advanced and operated sowly:
β¦ See: Dissipation sharing & Exothermy offloading (in how far these tricks work is highly speculative)
β
πͺ€ "Scaling laws make things worse."
β Yes, physics change when going down to the nanoscale, BUT β¦
β No, not necesarily for the worse for macroscale style cog-n-gear machinery
β The are two critical scaling laws that make things better rather than worse. Both as of 2026 still barely known.
β¦ See below in section: Physical basics
β
πͺ€ "Simulations show that these would not work."
β "No, nanodiamond does not behave like jelly."
β "No, one would not "see" the atomic wiggles when "seeing" the machine motions at proposed operation speeds."
β¦ See: Misleading aspects in animations of diamondoid molecular machine elements
β¦ See: Why MD simulations can't simulate proposed speeds for diamondoid nanomachinery
β
πͺ€ "Scaling laws make things worse"
β
β¦ See: Macroscale style machinery at the nanoscale
β
Two overcompensating scaling laws that make things better:
β Higher throughput of smaller machinery
β Same relative deflections across scales
β¦ See: How macroscale style machinery at the nanoscale outperforms its native scale
β
πͺ€ Quantum mechanical effects in nanomechanics are sometimes hugely overestimated
β¦ See: Nanomechanics is barely mechanical quantummechanics
Scale transposed prototyping
Prototyping cog-n-gear mechanisms at the macroscale for the nanoscale staying aware of the physical changes.
β
Personal projects of this wikis author:
β RepRec pick-and-place robots (GemGum)
β ReChain frame systems (ReChain pages)
β MecCirc project
β ReMec projects (umbrella name for the above)
β
Main Inspirations:
β Moses2014
β Ambots
Physical basics

β¦ and building some useful intuition (oversimplification aware).
General physics based intuition / understanding / feel
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Intuitive feel
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Intuitively understanding the size of an atom & Magnification theme-park
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Convenience of size steps of factor 32
β
Log polar mapping β as for β Distorted visualization methods for convergent assembly
β¦ (Lagrangian mechanics for nanomechanical circuits & Tracing trajectories of component in machine phase)
General nanoscale physics
β
Atomic orbitals (wiki-TODO: d and f orbitals mixing math and geometries)
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Ligand field theory (Wild idea: Mechanooptical conversion)
APM specific physics
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Force applying mechanosynthesis
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(Wearless) friction & energy dissipation:
β Friction in gem-gum technology
β Reciprocative dissipation mechanisms in gem-gum technology
β Superlubricity & Infinitesimal bearing
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VdW suck-in and suck-on & Comparison of mechanical character of different bonds types
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Intercrystolecular interactions, Intercrystolecular snapping modes, Intercrystolecular levitation
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The scaling laws. Two especially overlooked ones already covered in the preceding "trapdoors" section.
Methodological basics & frameworks for thought
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Exploratory engineering
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Digital control over reversibly composable units of matter
Far term applications



β
Products of gem-gum-tec
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Concrete example: Gem-gum suit
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Likely visual appearance of gem-gum products
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The look of our environment
β
β»οΈ Recycling and much faster product avaiability via a global microcomponent redistribution system
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General concept of a new sphere: Mechanosphere β efforts averting a severe Gem-gum waste crisis
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Solving biggest civilization problems: Carbon capture buoy scenario
Effects Impacts

The look of our environment.

β
Energy conversions by nature, today & tomorrow
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Story scenarios
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The look of our environment & World building
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The idea of a far future beyond far future
gaily
colored
gem
gum
goo
rainforrest
world
β See page: Gem-gum goo
β Reproduction hexagon & Grey goo horror fable
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Unnatural chemistry graphic
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New non scarce materials graphic
β
Ultra fast production by recycling graphic
Side topics
Hardware & software blurring
- Digital control over reversibly composable units of matter
- Materializable programs way beyond programmable materials
- Relations of APM to purely functional programming
- General: Software and programming overview page. Struggles.
Meta
- Goals of this wiki β A lot! β¦ (Didactic approach & Target audience)
- Impressum of this wiki and it's author.
- Stance on AI use for this wiki β (I guess now needed as of 2026.)
- Value in and management of contradictions
- General tips for productive communication
- On the introduction of new terminology in this wiki: Neologism
In short: As few as possible and when really necessary then pick smartly looking at several concrete aspects. - The authors struggles with software from the perspective of this wiki.
- Philosophical topics β¦ Embarrassing half inconsistent nonsense. Don't take any of this too seriously.
- Intentionally hidden fun stuff that you'll need to find yourself π.
If you want a random shot try: Special:Random (also in the left sidebar)
- β€οΈ Support: Ways to support me writing this wiki and keeping it safe.
Some topics by visual cards
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