Quote:
Originally Posted by vicky_molokh
I have to say that this is one of those time when I get the feeling that the radical-hard-SF Transhuman Space TL is being dragged back down to safetech/less-radical assumptions of microtech on the forum.
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THS has an inherent conflict between the fluff text (radical) and the specified future history (less radical). Given that THS does not have exponential wealth increases, 3D printers
must have some inherent limits to what they can produce, and the easiest one is feedstock.
As far as electronics go, I assume that 3D printers are not capable of producing electronics directly -- rather, feedstock includes microelectronics that can be combined to form larger systems (this implies that THS electronics are massively parallel systems -- the electronics in feedstock are the equivalent of programmable neurons. Given the rest of THS technology, this is fairly believable).