Michael Lorrey wrote:
> Thing is you don't need to ship all that equipment: you need a computer
> CAD/CAM prototyping system to construct parts out of refined materials
> in situ.
Melt glass, sputter diamond or silicon, process with XY beam lithography,
voila, control circuits. Most industrial processes become ridiculously
easy, once you have access to lots of hard vacuum (gotta keep the environmental
pollution down though: industry needs a squeaky clean vacuum) and energy
out the wazoo. Okay, you can't prototype this very well here downstairs,
and movable parts tend to weld together. Also, the wet processes become
difficult, since you have to provide confinement.
Why don't we see Billge & the Ellison dude sink their dollares into
such R&D? Some ten megabucks yearly on a focused topic could make a
large difference, while being cookie jar money for certain people.
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