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Rifts Theory 101: Nanotechnology and its effect on Materials Technology in Rifts.

All the recent threads on nanotech, and Rifts economics have inspired me to come with an essay or possible future Rifter article, on Rifts materials technology, and also try to address using plausible reasoning the gap in Mega-Damage Capacity between small-scale units such as RPA's and large-scale units like full tanks, and giant robots.

I'm looking for thoughts, comments, criticisms (be polite), and addtional questions to try to address. Here's what I've got so far.

Points to include:

- Nanotechnology is used to increase structural integrity in materials by increasing molecular bonding force in affected materials.
- Also makes use of Carbon-60 molecules for increased density, but with less mass, therefore less overall weight.
- Nanotechnology can be applied to the material fabrication stage of assembly, and to a limited degree is also used for full fabrication of completed high-tech items, especially for small electronics components such as AI control systems, RPA computers systems, and also for RPA myomar musculature, and external armor plating.
- Usually used on smaller scale industrial processes. There is a break point at which nano-fabrication will actually take longer, and cost exponentially more for macro- or large scale materials fabrication. E.g. Armor plating for large-scale vehicles, or internal superstructure for large-scale vehicles. Still may be used for microelectronics in large-scale vehicles.
- Reason for this is the scale of the Modular Nano-Assembler Lattice Matrix Arrays used in Assembler factories determines the scale possible for the finished products that can be fabricated in a given factory. Nanites are suspended in an electrolytic gel compound that conducts power, and provides a substrate for the nanites to move freely within the matrix from task to task.
- Most MNALMA’s are built on a scale to allow for rapid fabrication of advanced micro-components, and are able to produce molecularly bonded materials for armor fabrication up to a scale of RPA’s and small vehicles. Can also be used for fabrication of Military Damage Grade components.
- Cost in terms of price to construct the initial MNALMA, and power requirements increases exponentially for large scale or macro-fabrication. Production of large quantities of the electrolytic gel for larger factories is also cost prohibitive.
- Macro-construction of large-scale assemblies will normally make use of traditional construction techniques using methods such as AI controlled Robotic Auto-Lathes and Synthetic Compression Molding.
- This means that nano-molecular structural bonding techniques are not yet commercially viable for macro assemblies.

One thing I've been wanting to see, is a nanotech-augmented OCC. But then, I just re-installed Deus Ex a few days ago, so I may have been thinking about that.

makes use of Carbon-60 molecules for increased density, but with less mass, therefore less overall weight

Sorry but the laws of physics ties density and mass together and since weight is simply gravity acting on mass there is no way this can be true.

Higher density= greater mass for a given volume, and more mass = more weight

I think that's a good start for a Rifter article.

Don't forget carbon nano-tubes for very strong, light weight materials.

Another high tech manufacturing process I've seen recently involved taking the spider gene responsible for spinning web and adding it to bacteria which are then cultivated in a big vat. The bacteria reproduce and create liquid spider web which is super-strong. They cannot spin it with the same skill as a spider yet but may be able once they have nano-bots. I think they are trying to do the same thing with other unique organic compunds such as the adhesive pads on gecko feet and other biomimicry tech.

Stormseed wrote:One thing I've been wanting to see, is a nanotech-augmented OCC. But then, I just re-installed Deus Ex a few days ago, so I may have been thinking about that.

Wouldn't that be the various Juicers?

Speaking of nanotech, just recently researchers at the University of California created a 'walking molecule', with two 'feet'. Given a nudge with some heat (or an electron microscope probe), it'll walk in a perfectly straight line across a surface, without tipping over.

Here is an animation depicting the molecule in action.

And remember... don't play with the grey goo!

vitae_drinker wrote:

Stormseed wrote:One thing I've been wanting to see, is a nanotech-augmented OCC. But then, I just re-installed Deus Ex a few days ago, so I may have been thinking about that.

Wouldn't that be the various Juicers?

Juicers are chemically enhanced. The only thing even resembling nano tech on a juicer is the biocomp which simply monitors his status and releases the chemicals.

Also, I had been thinking about a nano tech augmented OCC too. What got me thinking about it? The guy from the cartooon 'Gargoyles' who fought against evildoers in Australia with a sentient nanotech symbiote did. That's just cool.

Mindcrime wrote:

vitae_drinker wrote:

Stormseed wrote:One thing I've been wanting to see, is a nanotech-augmented OCC. But then, I just re-installed Deus Ex a few days ago, so I may have been thinking about that.

Wouldn't that be the various Juicers?

Juicers are chemically enhanced. The only thing even resembling nano tech on a juicer is the biocomp which simply monitors his status and releases the chemicals.

Also, I had been thinking about a nano tech augmented OCC too. What got me thinking about it? The guy from the cartooon 'Gargoyles' who fought against evildoers in Australia with a sentient nanotech symbiote did. That's just cool.

Well, why not just use a Juicer OCC, change the name, and take away some of the side effects (lengthen life to 6-7 years for a basic Juicer and drop some of the withdrawal symptoms)...but give them some of the negs of a Crazy in return.

Boom. Instant new OCC.

All I was saying earlier was the Nanotech enhanced soldier would basically be the same as a Juicer with a new name.

vitae_drinker wrote:

Mindcrime wrote:

vitae_drinker wrote:

Stormseed wrote:One thing I've been wanting to see, is a nanotech-augmented OCC. But then, I just re-installed Deus Ex a few days ago, so I may have been thinking about that.

Wouldn't that be the various Juicers?

Juicers are chemically enhanced. The only thing even resembling nano tech on a juicer is the biocomp which simply monitors his status and releases the chemicals.

Also, I had been thinking about a nano tech augmented OCC too. What got me thinking about it? The guy from the cartooon 'Gargoyles' who fought against evildoers in Australia with a sentient nanotech symbiote did. That's just cool.

Well, why not just use a Juicer OCC, change the name, and take away some of the side effects (lengthen life to 6-7 years for a basic Juicer and drop some of the withdrawal symptoms)...but give them some of the negs of a Crazy in return.

Boom. Instant new OCC.

All I was saying earlier was basically the Nanotech enhanced soldier would basically be the same as a Juicer.

That's not how I envision it.

Kelorin wrote:Rifts Theory 101: Nanotechnology and its effect on Materials Technology in Rifts.

[...]

I judiciously utilize "nanotechnology" to explain many things in My Rifts Universe (IMRU).

1) There is no free-roaming nanotech. No airborne attack plagues, no cross-country self-replicating anything. All nanobots are narrowly focused and engineered for very specific purposes, and are useless when applied to anything else.

2) All super-tech weaponry and devices, including all MD armor, is built from nanotech engineered materials and processes. (There are other super-tech manufacturing systems, but nanotech is the most common; and ordinary manufacturing processes as we would understand them today are only capable of manufacturing low-end MDC-inflicting weaponry and very low end MDC armor (most armor and weaopns are SDC unless sizes reach tanks and larger).

3) All PA manfacture of supertech gear is done through nanofactories. All these nanofactories are jury-rigged affairs, patched together with replacement parts dug up from buried lost pre-PA cities and alien cities rifted in from other dimensions. Base materials are fed into the nanofactories at one end, and the products are "grown", bit by bit, until they pop out of the other end, fully formed and ready to go. There are very few of these nanofactories, all told. So few that they are used exclusively on the production of supertech gear.

4) The trade in nanofactory components is the backbone of all long distance trade. High-value low-weight gear (gems, magic items, spices, exotic goods, personal weapons, and armor) fill in around the edges. The economies of the various nations feed extensively off this trade. It is the whole and entire reason that justifies small communities existing out in the deep wilderness in minimal shelter exposed to MD/MDC monsters and entities. It is also the justification that allows them to earn enough to possess minimal MD weapons and MDC armor; gear without which they'd all be crushed (the recent overall opinion was that people living in small communities would be unable to completely shelter themselves with MDC structures). Said gear is usually operated by the local champions of the community (or by a few low level ordinaries, if there are no champions).

5) All low-tech manufacturing (including consumer electronics and products, durable goods), is done by old-fashioned techniques (including things that are considered high-tech today; like robotic manufacturing, and light to heavy human operated industrial machinery. Food is still produced the old fashioned way.

6) I don't dwell on the deep details. Like considering whether X is made of bucky balls or Y is made of carbon nitride. (At least, not very often.) I just say, "nanotech" covers it, and it does.

7) The largest merchant guild is the Nano Leauge. The Black Market and the Nano League have their hooks into each other at a number of places. The CS and the various other nations try to manipulate both groups, and both groups try to manipulate the others in turn.