The smallest technological system capable of physical self-reproduction is the entire economy.
Going from this to a 1M cube is a big jump. This comment is the basis for the enthusiasm for space colonies etc. E.g. SpaceX says 1 million people are needed, vs 1M cube, huge uncertainty in the scale of the difference. To me, almost all the difficulty is in the inputs, especially electronics.
Going from this to a 1M cube is a big jump. This comment is the basis for the enthusiasm for space colonies etc. E.g. SpaceX says 1 million people are needed, vs 1M cube, huge uncertainty in the scale of the difference. To me, almost all the difficulty is in the inputs, especially electronics.