

The Printer that Prints (60% of) Itself - ph0rque
http://www.devhardware.com/index2.php?option=content&task=view&id=2110&pop=1&hide_ads=1&page=0&hide_js=1

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swombat
I think this is the third time I see this posted on HN. I'm glad it's not
presented as a "self-replicating" machine anymore.

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streety
Currently the project remains some way short of that holy grail. Bowyer
estimates that Darwin can replicate about 60% of itself, and he even extends
the Darwinian evolutionary metaphor to this figure. According to the RepRap
website, "this is an interesting coincidence: we can make 60% of our
proteins."

Sadly I couldn't find a reference.

~~~
ph0rque
<http://reprap.org/bin/view/Main/WebHome#Replication> , second paragraph in
the "Replication" section.

~~~
streety
I wasn't doubting the accuracy of the article in claiming the statement was on
the reprap site. I was doubting the accuracy of the statement.

I don't believe we're unable to manufacture 40% of our proteins.

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pyroman
60% is pretty good, but even if it was up to 100% it would still have this
problem

"the RepRap can replicate the majority of its components at low cost but needs
human intervention to assemble them into a working device"

But that's not that big of a problem on earth

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tocomment
I was surprised to realize recently that DNA isn't really self replicating. It
requires the infrastructure of a cell, RNA, proteins, etc in order to be
replicated.

