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Grey GooGrey goo, a term coined by nanotechnology pioneer Eric Drexler, refers to a hypothetical end-of-the-world event involving nanotechnology in which out-of-control self-replicating robots consume all life on Earth while building more of themselves (a scenario known as ecophagy). It is usually used in a science fictional context. In a worst-case scenario, all of the matter in the universe could be turned into goo (with "goo" meaning a large mass of replicating nanomachines lacking large-scale structure, which may or may not actually appear goo-like), killing the universe's residents. The disaster could result from an accidental mutation in a self-replicating nanomachine used for other purposes, or possibly from a deliberate doomsday device. It is unclear whether nanotechnology is capable of creating grey goo at all. While the biological matter that composes life releases significant amounts of energy when oxidised, and other sources of energy such as sunlight are available, this energy might not be sufficient for the robots to out-compete existing organic life that already uses those resources. If the nanomachine is itself composed of organic molecules, then it might even find itself being preyed upon by preexisting bacteria and other natural life forms. If they are built of inorganic compounds or make much use of elements that are not generally found in living matter, then they will need to use much of their metabolic output for fighting entropy as they purify (reduce sand to silicon, for instance) and synthesize the necessary building blocks. There would be little chemical energy available from inorganic matter such as rocks because, aside from a few exceptions (coal, for example) it's mostly well-oxidized and sitting in a free-energy minimum. Because of these limitations grey goo may only be possible in an environment which lacks indigenous life to compete with it for indigenous resources. However, some proponents of nanotechnology argue that it is possible nanomachines could be developed that are able to outcompete natural life through the use of novel chemical processes that life would be unable to develop via natural evolution due to irreducible complexity. Some also consider it unlikely that an artificial self-replicator could spontaneously evolve in a manner that could present an immediate threat. Precautions Assuming a nanotechnological replicator is capable of causing a grey goo disaster, safety precautions might include programming them to stop reproducing after a certain number of generations (but see cancer), designing them to require a rare material that would be sprayed on the construction site before their release, or requiring constant direct control from an external computer. Other varieties Grey goo has several whimsical cousins, differentiated by their colors and raisons d'tre. Most of these are not as commonly referred to as grey goo, however, and the definitions are informal: - Golden Goo is the backfiring of a get-rich-quick scheme to assemble gold or other economically valuable substance.
- Black Goo (or Red Goo) is goo unleashed intentionally by terrorists, a doomsday weapon, or a private individual who wishes to commit suicide with a bang.
- Khaki Goo is goo intended by the military to wipe out somebody else's continent, planet, etc.
- Blue Goo is goo deliberately released in order to stop some other type of grey goo. It might well be the only solution to such a disaster, and would hopefully be better controlled than the original goo.
- Pink Goo is humanity. It replicates relatively slowly, but many think it will nevertheless fill any amount of space given enough time. Some people think that allowing our entire galaxy or the universe to get filled with Pink Goo would be the ultimate crime, to be stopped at any cost. This neo-Malthusian scenario ignores empirically verified trends showing a decrease in the rate of population growth.
- Green Goo is goo deliberately released, for example by ecoterrorists, in order to stop the spread of Pink Goo, either by sterilization or simply by digesting the pink goo. Some form of this, along with an antidote available to the selected few, has been suggested as a strategy for achieving zero population growth. The term originates from the science fiction classic, Soylent Green.
Famous quotes Fictional depiction One fanciful depiction of a grey goo crisis was in an episode of the Gargoyles animated series where the protagonists face an advanced form of nanotechnology. They eventually manage to convince it to stop its spread and interest it in human society. Wil McCarthy's science fiction novel Bloom is set in a future in which a grey goo has overwhelmed the entire inner solar system, with the only remaining colonies of humans surviving in the asteroid belt and on Jupiter's moons. Greg Bear's novel Blood Music is a classic of the field, depicting a form of grey goo originally derived from human lymphocytes. Michael Crichton's science fiction thriller Prey is about a company that accidentally sets a swarm of nanobots free. This swarm then turns into grey goo and begins to kill the workers one after the other in order to reproduce. In the science fiction television series Lexx, self-replicating robot arms called Mantrid drones wind up consuming the mass of an entire universe. Mantrid drones were macroscopic machines, but they apparently used nanotechnology as part of their means of manufacturing new parts for themselves. Walter Jon Williams's novel Aristoi featured a future wherein Earth was consumed and destroyed by runaway nano, referred to as "mataglap", from an Indonesian word meaning "dilated eye" (referring to the look on one's face when they go berserk). See also Bibliography External links
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