No. An atom printer is a machine that has ’little bitty fingers” that just puts atoms in place on a surface and builds a whole planet layer by layer. Like how a 3d printer works
This is invalid—you cannot leave atoms in states that are not stable chemistry wise. This came up in the Drexler Smalley debate
nanotechnology/atomic precision machines would have to use a method more like what nature uses. You have shaped catalysts and you mechanically allow in specific precursor molecules into the catalyst ‘press’. The catalyst is shaped so that side products are not possible.
After bonding, the press ejects any waste molecules down one path, and sends the new molecule down another. There are then further additions—it is essentially the same thing as sequential organic chemistry synthesis, except that there are almost never side products. (when a side reaction happens it can permanent block that particular nanoassembly line—you need more than in parallel 1 for every process)
Later in the process, these large molecules are convergently assembled with each other, in a manner similar to how ribosomes work, to form even larger molecules, and then those are combined and so on.
There are major limitations to this approach. You cannot “print” anything, you can only make specific parts you have an assembly path for. (though at the higher levels of assembly you have many possible options, similar to how there are a very large number of valid proteins a ribosome can build).
It means you cannot “print” the rocks and living creatures of a planet.
Did you just show that nanotechnology/atomic precision machines for creating things are impossible?
No. An atom printer is a machine that has ’little bitty fingers” that just puts atoms in place on a surface and builds a whole planet layer by layer. Like how a 3d printer works
This is invalid—you cannot leave atoms in states that are not stable chemistry wise. This came up in the Drexler Smalley debate
nanotechnology/atomic precision machines would have to use a method more like what nature uses. You have shaped catalysts and you mechanically allow in specific precursor molecules into the catalyst ‘press’. The catalyst is shaped so that side products are not possible.
After bonding, the press ejects any waste molecules down one path, and sends the new molecule down another. There are then further additions—it is essentially the same thing as sequential organic chemistry synthesis, except that there are almost never side products. (when a side reaction happens it can permanent block that particular nanoassembly line—you need more than in parallel 1 for every process)
Later in the process, these large molecules are convergently assembled with each other, in a manner similar to how ribosomes work, to form even larger molecules, and then those are combined and so on.
There are major limitations to this approach. You cannot “print” anything, you can only make specific parts you have an assembly path for. (though at the higher levels of assembly you have many possible options, similar to how there are a very large number of valid proteins a ribosome can build).
It means you cannot “print” the rocks and living creatures of a planet.