DNA nanobots can exponentially self-replicate: Tiny machines made from strands of DNA can build copies of themselves, leading to exponential replication. Similar devices could one day be used to cr...

Technology@lemmy.world – 86 points – 7 months ago

DNA nanobots can exponentially self-replicate: Tiny machines made from strands of DNA can build copies of themselves, leading to exponential replication. Similar devices could one day be used to cr...::Tiny machines made from strands of DNA can build copies of themselves, leading to exponential replication. Similar devices could one day be used to create drugs inside the body

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Because of this the reaction will not work outside of carefully controlled laboratory conditions, ruling out apocalyptic scenarios where the process runs away and destroys all available DNA by building versions of itself with it.

This isn’t something that’s taking over the world just yet

So there’s always that kind of uncertainty; you think you can build safeguards in, but they’re not necessarily a guarantee that it will be safe

Very reassuring, nothing to worry about

You could also have a copycat funded by terrorists or whatever. Just because they build safeguards doesn't mean the next person will. Fun.

It's not that they built safeguards but probably more that replication is finicky and you need these specific conditions for it to work at all
(but I don't have access to the cited paper)