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Earth 2.0:
Rough Notes on a Peristaltic, Vascular Communication and
Transportation System for Planet Earth in the Nanotechnological Era
Joel
Morrison
1/11/2007
...modifications exist in something external to themselves, and a conception of them is formed by means of a conception of the thing in which they exist. Therefore, we may have true ideas of non-existent modifications; for, although they may have no actual existence apart from the conceiving intellect, yet their essence is so involved in something external to themselves that they may through it be conceived.
-- Spinoza, Ethics
1.
Introductory Resources: All of this is loose speculation based on a
fully functional nanotechnological infrastructure, such as that envisioned by
K. Eric Drexler, Ralph Merkle and others. See Drexler’s “Nanosystems” and “Engines of
Creation” as well as Robert Freitas’ “Nanomedicine”
series, as well as the following resources.
http://www.foresight.org/Conferences/MNT05/Papers/McKendree/index.html
http://www.nanotech-now.com/utility-fog.htm
2.
Introduction: An active polymorphic, Utility-Fluid*
nanotechnological substrate is loosely outlined which could be used to
form a multi-scale object, matter/energy transportation, transformation sensor/effector system which could span the Earth, fill and extend
the atmosphere and transform it into an active participant in near and
sub-terrestrial events. The
Utility-Fluid system bears a behavioral macro-level resemblance to John Storrs
Hall’s (JoSH) "utility fog," (see
http://www.nanotech-now.com/utility-fog.htm) but the similarities between the two
systems rapidly diminish at the unit level. Rather, this system uses a "utility fluid" (UFL) model for its
architecture as opposed to a gaseous or "utility fog" model, and it
is possible that this would provide for a very different set of capabilities at
the meso and macro levels.
3.
Programmable Matter Units
(PMU): The units in this Utility Fluid (UFL) system are similar in
structure to vacuous single celled organisms (e.g. amoebas, hydrae, and
neurons). The units themselves have a
muscular, polymorphic membrane which can expand and contract and modulate their
shape at the object surface and subsurface levels, thus imbuing the PMU and its
surface detail, texture and properties with rich polymorphic capabilities. When taken together, as a "fluid",
the units can slip around each other in a controlled, continuous and fluid
manner using sub-surface modulations. these could include: 1. Adaptive Electro-Magnetic Levitation
(AEML, to be discussed below), where the surfaces would actually be seperated some distance by magnetic levitation, similar to
a gas; 2. Mechanical, 2a. Radial and/or rotary/circumferential movement of
sub-surface sub-units and patternings. 2b. Utility Fog Emulation, the unit-surface
can also form into radiating arms and thus the individual units can emulate JoSH's foglets in functionality
if the necessity arises. The
space-filling, "fluid" mode, however, is a welcome alternative to the
cumbersome hand-to-hand motion-transfer from unit to unit required by the JoSH method.
3.1.
Adaptive Electro-Magnetic Levitation (AEML) -==----==- The polymorphic, surface modulating
capabilities make the units necessarily much more complex than the jOSH model, but the basic inter-unit motion-control
programming/protocol should be simpler and readily evolvable. The embedded polymorphic, multi-scalar
multi-hub, information/power switching network (see below) gives rise to many
interesting possibilities. Each fluid
unit is a power-switching hub. Thus networks of these units would be able to
form higher level adaptable electronic circuits and electricity flow patterns.
A surface of densely packed collumns of ~500 microns
in diameter, (50 or so units )
could form helical or coil circuits giving rise to a magnetic field. The magnetic field formed from arrays of
these AEML cells should be strong enough to provide magnetic levitation at the
interface between the capsule and the surface of the muscular contraction. For
larger systems the circuits could be formed at larger scales and more power
could be drawn through the circuits to provide a more powerful magnetic field.
,(1/( ganglion of sperm brains1\10\1)
3.2.
NOTE: [:::::::: .depending upon the possible strength
of an AEML cell in the sub-micron region, the units, expanded to space-filling shape,
could produce the AEML cells on their surfaces required for levitation. The
precise manipulation and synchronization of patterns of AEML fields at the
cell-to-cell interfaces could produce the necessary laminar flow forces
(electro-magnetic peristalsis) required to actuate a laminar flow. One could imagine many scenarios arising from
this capability ... the units could join together to construct machinery for
the transportation and launching of other units, aggregates or macroscale objects ....::::.::::.:]
3.3.
Polymorphic
shell construction
3.3.1.
(to be
defined)
3.4.
NOTE: Morphic gas ((vs. molecular gas)) could also be called magnetic or maglev gas
3.5.
NOTE: The core of
the unit could contain multiple neural-network supercomputers
?????
4.
Communication: Signal Architectures:
4.1.
FM: Each
signal is an em fm signal containing superimposed,
frequency-specific, data channels. (signals could be formed like daemons spreading through
specified IdentityTypes and in programmed sequences
until the collective goal has been achieved. Channel possibilities include … Identity, DataRecall,
Future Behavior… )
5.
Morphic Modes:
5.1.
Primitive Morphic Modes (solid, liquid, gas):
5.1.1.
Gas: The units practice a basic
otherness-avoidance motion routine. Distance
measurement is obtained periodically either through echo-location (phonon,
photon, ?electron) or a sampling of the inter-unit
electric or magnetic field (See Distance Measure Modes, below). A morphic gas must
be achieved through a forced separation and dispersion of the units of the
Utility Fluid.
5.1.1.1. Dispersion Mechanisms:
5.1.1.1.1. Gravitational Buoyancy Control: The units
would control the balance of their buoyancy in the surrounding molecular gas
medium. Buoyancy control could be maintained by simply expanding the outer
gas-tight polymorphic membrane and thus reducing the internal air density and
increasing the displaced weight of the surrounding molecular gas. Buoyancy can also be achieved by controlling
the flow of the external molecular medium--either through mechanical means
(e.g. cilliary swimming) or possibly
electro-magnetically--and directing the medium around or through the unit in
the direction opposite the desired lift.
5.1.1.1.2. Magnetic Repulsion (e.m. dissonance): The unit could
also expand the strength of its external magnetic-field. Depending upon the strength capabilities of
the magnetic-field (see AEML) the achieved inter-unit distance could perhaps
extend far enough to impart a relative transparency to the Fluid.
5.1.1.1.3. Mechanical repulsion: opposing
pseudo-podia could extend between the units forcing an inter-unit separation
and expansion of the fluid in laminar waves propagating down through the volume
etc. At this point another repulsion
mechanism could take over and maintain separation and the pseudopodia could
retract into the unit body.
5.1.1.2.
Distance Measure modes: These modes are only used in
situations where an absolute matrix is unavailable and unit positions are in
relative or adaptive mode. The default
mode would be to send unit position data in the wireless packet headers or to
retrieve it from a local or global compute node
5.1.1.2.1. Long-Range Distance Measure Mode: The
amplitude of an oscillating radio signal is modulated according to a mapped
ramping transmission of ascending distance units. Each unit could encode much
data into the signal including id, traveling messages, daemons etc. The min and max amplitude is determined
according to onboard knowledge of environmental signal noise. The distance-to-amplitude ratio of the
transmitted distance measurement signal is 1 to 1 ((((timeWrap)))==- time grid continuity detection?).
5.1.1.2.2.
Basic Distance Measure Mode: a simple e.m. packet is sent containing, unit ID, signalType ID and a number representing the transmision strength
of the signal and perhaps information of local environmental e.m. permeability or permittivity. Upon reception the signal strength is used to
estimate the distance to the source. It
should give a fairly accurate value for the amount of traversed matter (see du Gabriel, What it All is and Why).
5.1.2.
Fluid: This is the
default, and likely most controlled, active and “mechanical” morphic-mode of the utility-fluid, requiring no distancing
mechanisms, as required in the gas and plasma modes. In this mode, the units (or their immediate
AEML fields) are in “direct” contact, their active polymorphic surfaces
interacting in a tightly evolved collectively orchestrated symbiosis.
5.1.3.
Solid: This is the
“static” morphic-mode where the units actively engage
in bonding mechanisms to stabilize a predefined or spontaneously evolved
pattern, such as an “object” called from the virtual sub-system archive (see
Tom McKendree’s “The Logical Core Architecture” at
http://www.foresight.org/Conferences/MNT05/Papers/McKendree/index.html), or
derived from a UFL user-interface mode such as any of the varied types and
degrees of active/reactive “sculpting” modes.
5.1.3.1.
PMU Bonding: Though system fluidity will
be extremely useful, the system will also be capable of forming strong
inter-unit bonds. The bonds could be geometrical (e.g. puzzle piece
interlocking), magnetic or even chemical. A geometric or mechanical bond is made simply by globally shifting the morphic mode of the shell of each individual
unit from an active polymorphous gaseous or fluid mode to a static space-filling
polyhedron mode, and the Utility Fluid changes from a liquid to a solid. To increase the rigidity of the morphic solid, the units can form multiple bonds of several
types:
5.1.3.1.1.
Magnetic Bond: By subdividing their surfaces into regions of
inter-unit contact with adjacent subsurfaces and
forming bipolar magnetic pairs with opposing, inter-attractive magnetic fields
between the contact regions of the adjacent units, a relatively strong
inter-unit magnetic bond can be formed. And by modulating the polarity the bond can be turned off or reversed
into repulsion.
5.1.3.1.2.
Mechanical Bond: The units can geometrically interpenetrate
each other with inter-locking surface or subsurface shapes or grasp each other
with locking appendages to form a relatively high strength mechanical bond.
5.1.3.1.3.
Chemical Bond: If a relatively permanent meta-structure is required, the units could be
designed with the ability to form simple chemical bonds at the unit-unit
interfaces by incorporating the proper atoms into their contact regions.
5.1.4. Plasma: This mode borders on the second level
or complex morphic-modes given the complexity of
plasma in general. This mode would begin
where a gas-mode leaves off, but it would require an AEML architecture.
5.2.
Complex Morphic Modes:
5.2.1.
“Object” and Energy Transportation Mode: The
polymorphic substance would first form a capsule surrounding an object. Then,
separating itself from its sub-level physical connections to the
environment/network, the capsule would be propelled via muscular, pneumatic
and/or magnetic (AEML) peristalsis along a calculated or free-input pathway.
5.2.1.1.
Programming: The individual units need only a simple variable vector, informing them
of the direction with which to actuate the desired motion-pattern
sequence. In the morphic mode of object transportation this vector is generated in relation to a path
guiding the propagation of a peristaltic wave (of numerous possible cooperating
types). The path itself could be
generated by several different methods, separately or in conjunction :
5.2.1.2.
Path Generation Options
5.2.1.2.1.
a global transfer-path evolution simulation by
local and/or global "traffic control" compute nodes
5.2.1.2.2.
an information-packet transfer control protocol
executed among the distributed units and fine-tuned and updated on the fly via
genetic algorithms
5.2.1.2.3.
a distributed
cellular- automata-type "shortest
path" or "path of least" resistance simulation executed among
the fog units through local rules of interaction and optimized via evolutionary
algorithms. (the lightning model). This would be an actual or causal computation
where symbolic/representational computation is kept to a minimum level and kept
extremely localized. The meta-scale object motion would "emerge" from
fairly simple micro-scale unit sensation and programming or morphic modes. The object motion would take place in real-time and in synchrony with
the emergent computation. This could be
achieved through basic inter-unit communication and cooperation.
5.2.1.2.4.
The path-map could be generated onboard each unit
or object-level compute-node, evolved in real-time through global object- and
sub-object behavior, broadcast by a local control station or even generated and
broadcast by a specialized network of compute nodes ~evenly dispersed and embedded throughout the
fluid. It seems very likely that the map
need not be preconceived by any "mind" whatsoever, if the distributed
computational qualities of the inter-unit behavioral interactions are
successful enough to calculate reasonably efficient transfer-paths on the fly. These rules would be something crudely akin
to a wireless tcp/ip network
in an evolutionary, massively parallel,
6.
Capabilities and Functions:
6.1.
Transportation: With this infrastructure, the
fluid as a whole, can form vast multiscale networks
of peristaltic transportation tubes which would never collide ((partly because
the morphic mode of the units involved in actuating
one pathway doesn't allow for the simultaneous actuation of a second pathway in
the same region, i.e. the wires can't cross)). The fluid could encapsulate an object by condensing, gelling or
solidifying in a perimeter surrounding it. This muscular condensation process also would construct the
transportation tubes and the peristaltic force (ie.
muscular contraction, maglev (AEML), and/or even pneumatic) behind the capsule
to provide forward momentum. The walls
of the tube need only condense in the vicinity of the object and virtual
impulse, thus allowing the transport tube to remain virtual and thus retain its computational flexibility in the global evolution of the
simulated system. This flexibility would
allow the system to continuously optimise its paths
on the fly, increasing energy efficiency or perhaps evolving toward a number of
other fitness criteria, e.g. aesthetic etc.. The fluid could ultimately encapsulate an
individual, creating the vehicle and the pathway, and send him on a trajectory
through the intelligent/muscular air. At
the friction interface between the capsule and the peristaltic muscular
contraction, the units on either side of the gap could form opposing meta-unit
electro-magnet circuits to generate a magnetic field capable of producing
magnetic levitation, a "zero-friction" physical interface.
6.1.1.
NOTE: An object, in the UF system, is
defined at many levels in the holonic system by highlighting the inter-faces
between different morphic modes and categorizing,
grouping/excluding and labeling the interiors or cells through a hierarchical
spatial nomenclature in the database. It
does not necessarily denote an object in the familiar "seperate,"
"solid" or "tangible" sense.
6.1.2.
Qualities and Limits: This system would be accident free
and extremely energy efficient. Built
into each unit would be programmed limits on the speed of compression and
motion. In the event of an immanent
collision ((if collision were programmed to be possible)) the intervening
muscular "fog" would compress gently, providing a soft cushion
between the colliding objects. Every
object within or without the transportation system would have a constant
protective buffer zone. The radius and
compression speed of the cushion would be programmable on a
per *object or per situation basis. This configuration would make it
impossible for two objects to unpurposefully collide
or for one object to physically harm another unless mutually programmed to do
so.
6.2.
Terrestrial Utility Shield: An
ever-changing virtual transportation network would arise, optimized in
real-time by the laws of evolutionary economy. If needed, the massively parallel PMU system itself could perform the
evolutionary computation necessary to arrive at sufficient simulated network
optimization. The speed of
transportation would be limited by the speed of actuation of the virtual
peristaltic wave system. This
utility shield surrounding the earth could perform such tasks as:
6.2.1.
Energy Reception /distribution - Organs of electro-magnetic energy
reception would be embedded in an active polymorphic energy distribution
network. This virtual energy grid surrounding the earth would supply energy to
itself as well as to all necessary global requirements
6.2.2.
Multiscale Object
Construction - the utility fluid network contains embedded
sub-networks of assembler systems with massively parallel molecular positional
control, communications, feedstock transportation systems, and engineering and
design systems. The system could produce
any programmed object at any relevant scale.
6.2.3.
Multiscale Object
Transportation System - a signal is
sent with the coordinates of object and target. A route is calculated (crudely at first if necessary) and a signal is
sent to the designated PMUs surrounding the
object. The object is encapsulated and a
virtual: 1.peristaltic/muscular, 2.maglev, or 3.pneumatic: wave+guide is generated and instantiated in the vicinity of
the object. The object begins its
trajectory as the actuated portion of the wave pushes the object along the
locally instantiated virtual path. During flight the route is optimized and updated for all changes made to
the global system.
6.2.4.
Geo-molecular Control - control of
global molecular structure, patterning and architecture at most levels spanning
the global-to-molecular scale. (This control would extend to an as yet undetermined
depth... of what use is the earth's
magnetic field? What lies at its
core? (see Sorce Theory) could the crust be expanded and separated from the star-like core
to allow inhabitants to dwell on the inner surface of the earth? Or
onion-skinned? :) This means near total control of planetary
"surface" resources. The
eradication of misaligned molecular patternings eg.viruses, waste, weapons, random entropic agents,
etc... A planetary immune system
protecting the sphere from the effects of raw probability.
6.2.5. Extra-Intra-Planetary Sensing - Multiple
forms of conceivable sensor/processor and effector networks can be readily summoned from the virtual bank of subsystems and
instantiated at most relevant scales. The system could form a sensory membrane surrounding the earth. This polymorphic sensor/effector/processor
network membrane could, at will, instantiate a telescope the size of the earth
which would scan the EM spectrum both inward and outward at ~all times. (A planetary self/consciousness organ with a
spherical two-sided retinal surface and polymorphic multiscale lens(s). Each unit in the retinal field
could retain a long history (local or remote) of its own states. It could also transmit backup copies to
neighbors within a specific radius surrounding the unit. Thus the pattern recognition could refine its
focus to the scale of the field required by the query, taking sums from
arbitrarily defined meta-units at the chosen resolution. When, in retrospect, a pattern requires
further attention, the history of the sub-pixels could be summoned up and
analyzed further at any given time. All
of this could be displayed on a deeper layer of the shell itself, such that
looking up from the surface of the earth at a specified region of the
atmospheric lens/display, one could effectively see as deep into space as one
wished, within the limits of the system.
6.2.6. Sub/meta: // netSpec {{ using e.m.
broadcast communication (or even hard-wired meta-scale connections) the fluid
could set up a distributed virtual or actual neural network. This network could form itself, on the fly,
into inter-functioning meta-level mind modules. The patterns of connections, "synaptic" weights and in/ex-hibition polarities defining the function of the particular
mind module could be stored and retrieved from the "functional pattern
archive" and mapped onto the specified units. When a mind-module, in phase-space search
mode, forms a particularly useful mind-mechanism, the states of the
individual units are recorded and filed away in the archive under the name of
the function of the mind-mechanism, for later
retrieval. }} // end netSpec
6.2.7.
Extra-intra-planetary Shielding - a shield
for the earth could be formed using muscular control to absorb, store or
redirect stray or destructive inertial energies. This shield, operating on all necessary
scales across our relevant scale-axis, could form itself into modulated
patterns of resistance. These patterns
can be engineered for energy absorption in various ways depending upon the
fitness function of the goal state. It
could perhaps form into lattices of pistons turning generators and sending (via
the global energy network) the electricity generated by contraction to local
storage/distribution units. The energy tranformation could also take the crude form of mechanical springs, bungies,
gears etc. to directly alter the direction of motion (energy-reversable muscles-,.)*. This membrane could then redirect an incomming projectile, collect its momentum/energy and use
it to dismantle it's own atoms and/or store the
remainder. Pseudo-podia force modulation
and absorption.