Ralph Merkle
Ralph Merkle
Ralph C. Merkleis a computer scientist. He is one of the inventors of public key cryptography, the inventor of cryptographic hashing, and more recently a researcher and speaker of cryonics...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionScientist
Date of Birth2 February 1952
CountryUnited States of America
giants needs machines
Manufacturing takes place in very large facilities. If you want to build a computer chip, you need a giant semiconductor fabrication facility. But nature can grow complex molecular machines using nothing more than a plant.
thinking firsts conflict
The first approximation in this future that we're looking at is that everyone will be physically well off. They will have a great abundance in material goods, and I think that will soften some of the conflicts we see now.
powerful world sugar
Nanotechnology will let us build computers that are incredibly powerful. We'll have more power in the volume of a sugar cube than exists in the entire world today.
believe ideas people
Nanotechnology is an idea that most people simply didn't believe.
people today serious
Today we see a human population of over 6 billion people, many of whom have serious medical conditions, which either can't be treated or cannot be treated economically.
happy-life careers healthy
If you look at the human condition today, not everyone is well fed, has access to good medical care, or the physical basics that provide for a healthy and a happy life.
agriculture limits acres
Because of technological limits, there is a certain amount of food that we can produce per acre. If we were to have intensive greenhouse agriculture, we could have much higher production.
acceptance self aquariums
One of the concepts essential to molecular manufacturing is that of a self-replicating manufacturing system. That concept has lagged behind in its acceptance.
balance able revolution
As in any technological revolution, there will be winners and losers. On balance, everyone will come out ahead, although there will be particular companies that will not be able to cope with a new environment.
confidence air stronger
One of the things that we can say with confidence is that we will have much lighter, much stronger materials, and this will reduce the cost of air flight, and the cost of rockets.
technology suffering benefits
The new technologies that we see coming will have major benefits that will greatly alleviate human suffering.
firsts wealthy approximation
We are looking at a future where to a first approximation, everyone is wealthy.
planets limitation
We see an entire planet which has many limitations.
california example certain
There are certain things that are inherently scarce. For example, there is only a certain amount of beachfront property in California. It is going to be scarce, it is going to be expensive.