From: [email protected]
Subject: von Neumann Universal Constructor Prize - website & email list
Dear Bruce Sterling, (((Yo!)))
A while ago I proposed that a prize be offered for progress towards a von Neumann Universal Constructor
(the large scale non-biological sort made of plastic and electronics that you can kick and fiddle with)
and I advanced arguments as to why it is reasonable to think that this might be achieved on a time scale of years rather than decades, and why now is good time to give that development a bit of a push.
I have since sanity checked this with a number of experts in the field and, the feedback having been positive, am now opening up the proposal for wider discussion.
I've created a website (actually a wiki) at:
http://constructors.wikidot.com/
It is publicly readable, and to edit it you can create an id using:
http://constructors.wikidot.com/system:join
For those who don't like wikis, or who just prefer email, I have also created an email list at google:
http://groups.google.co.uk/group/vncprize
Again, the list archive should be publicly readable, and to post, you can subscribe using:
http://groups.google.co.uk/group/vncprize/subscribe
I hope you will join the discussion - I know you have a lot of thoughts that you could contribute in this area.
Yours sincerely,
Douglas Reay
(((Good luck with all that, and don't let 'em come crawling toward me.)))
