[Survey/Sci-Fi] Materialism in a post-scarcity economy
An interesting idea has been rolling around in my head the last couple days. Imagine we end up with engines of true creation: nanotechnology, matter-pattern replication, pretty much any technology which given energy and raw elements can construct a perfect copy of any physical object. Ask for platinum ingots, you get platinum ingots. Ask for an egg-salad sandwich, you get an egg-salad sandwich. Numerous science fiction versions of this have been considered. So, given that we invent the technology to create perfect replicas of anything, and have sufficient energy and resources to create such replicas (and we show the wisdom to not use such technology to destroy ourselves), name FIVE things or less that you would personally choose to have perfectly replicated for you to own (ala austere desert island list). I'll stipulate that you cannot replicate a whole person, although a set of spare replacement organs from your own genetic code is fair game. You also cannot replicate things which are unique and unreplicatable by their nature (a particular piece of land overlooking the Mississippi River, for example). Assume replication is perfect at the atomic (but not quantum) level, and can be up to the size of the Great Pyramid of Giza. Assume that you have all the basics of living provided (food, clothing, basic shelter, medical care). Alternately, name FIVE things or less that you would want to own that currently exist and are unique and you would want to prohibit from being replicated (a specific piece of real estate, a particular artwork, etc.) I'll post my own choices in the comments. What would you choose?
8 comments:
Unnecessarily slow deploying armageddon machine.
Also note that my emotional state and genetic code are trademarked, copyrighted, and GPLed.
I'll have to stipulate that as a no-fly given that an unnecessarily slow armageddon machine would be larger than the great pyramid.
An unnecessarily slow acid dipping machine ala Batman would fly. That's only the size of a vat.
If your genetic code is GPL'd, does that mean I can begin cloning you and building derivative works? A mutant army of GeistX's?
Yes, but you must then also GPL any said changes and give credit to the original and tatoo the GPL license on their foreheads.
Personally, I'd go for the LGPL. All women have proprietary licenses, and I'd want to be able to interface with their 'libraries' without violating my own license.
;)
Ok, my list for the record:
1) A violoncello by Antonio Stradivari or Mateo Gofriller.
2) an 8 sun tenmasa kaya goban with a pair of Go Seigen style Miyakejima mulberry goke and 9.8mm yuki grade slate and hamaguri shell goishi from Hyunga
3) A classical library of first editions
4) 'Raphaelesque Head Exploding' c. 1951 by Salvador Dali
5) Clark Gable's loaner 1935 Duesenberg SSJ or Ralph Lauren's 1938 Bugatti Type 57SC Atlantic
Some thing to create:
A "time capsule", containing at least 250 viable seeds of every known plant on Earth (including those that grow under water), and a "small" sample of their perfect growing soil+environment (air/water/etc). The capsule would be capable of resisting radiation, exposure to space, and religous zelots (well, two out of three should be enough). It might be nice to create several of these and space their "discovery" across a large amount of time.
I like the time capsule thing. I would also expand it to include genetic material of every known life form, with enough samples to allow for genetic diversity.
I don't know, I think I'd personally leave out the genetic material for Ebola. The universe could do without it.
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