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From: Alfke.PASA@XEROX.ARPA
Newsgroups: net.sf-lovers
Subject: Matter Transmission
Message-ID: <12203@sri-arpa.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 7-Aug-84 14:35:00 EDT
Article-I.D.: sri-arpa.12203
Posted: Tue Aug  7 14:35:00 1984
Date-Received: Fri, 10-Aug-84 02:12:06 EDT
Lines: 57

Some flames regarding Will Martins discussion of matter
transmission/duplication:

Matter transmission would not inevitably lead to duplication.  It would
(eventually) if&methods of the form "record-everything-about-the-object-
then-transmit-this-to-the-receiver-which-then-rebuilds-it" were used
(although you could set your story in the intervening time (centuries?)
before it is discovered how to record such an insanely high-bandwidth
signal.  However, it seems quite possible that teleportation devices
might use quantum-mechanical means, in which the object's probability
waveform is distorted so as to reach maximum in some distant location.
(How this could be done while still maintaining the proper constraints
on the waveform's shape is beyond me; let some real scientist figure
that one out.)

Additionally, even having the ability to record the signal describing an
object does not automatically grant the ability to change it in subtle
ways (removal of aging effects, combing/uncombing of hair, and more were
mentioned).  Maybe it would eventually be perfected, but give it a few
centuries after the invention of the duplicator (remember, we need
computers that can comprehend the entire enormous signal...)

Other restrictions:  Can the duplicator transmute elements, or do you
have to dump in sufficient amounts of the proper elements to create
something?  (Bit of a problem for rejuvenating stars.)  Even if it can,
can it transmute subatomic particles?

Even given all this stuff, I still refuse to believe that it
automatically grants you entropy reversal.  Entropy is such a
fundamental mathematical consequence of physical law, it will find some
method of increasing itself.  To build brand-new stars from the ruins of
old ones would probably require several stars-worth of energy to be
dumped in . . . (Any society which used duplicators heavily would thus
still require some fairly hefty source of power to run them, and you
can't cheat and allow the duplicators to provide the energy.  Solar
seems like the best bet.  Maybe the Dyson sphere will become a
necessity, just to trap all the sunlight?)

Boy!  Isn't science *fun* ????

~~Some further reading~~
Larry Niven, "The Theory and Practice of Teleportation"
	(Essay from All the Myriad Ways (Ballantine) )
	A nice essay, mostly summarizing methods from other books, but also
	offering a few ideas of its own.
George O. Smith, The Complete Venus Equilateral (Ballantine)
	A terrific series of stories from the 30's and 40's; a matter
duplicator is
	eventually developed and nearly destroys "civilization as we know it".


						--Peter Alfke

		"I teleported home one day
		with Ron and Sid and Meg;
		Ron stole Maggie's heart away
		And I got Sidney's leg . . ."