Several science fiction authors and scientists have written about the post-capitalist, almost utopian world of replicators and Drexlers http://e-drexler.com/ to manufacture - well, everything!

My concern in this series of essays is to bring this future into perspective and to discuss the economics and human problems which it will undoubtedly bring.  The interim period between capitalism and almost a form of neo-socialism (cornucopianism) will be fraught with vested interests, new forms of Luddism and ever increasing levels of inequality.

These are subjects worthy of extended, intelligent, measured discussion and I am expecting the conclusions to be far removed from this starting place.  

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Author guidance for This work

I want to explore themes of mechanical manufacture in relation to environmental, human and social factors - limits to growth and sociological concerns. Replicators could mean we never get hungry or go without ever again - or a dystopian nightmare where the world is destroyed in a tide of tat. We could use the new technology for incredible good or suppress it to allow oligocrats to exploit the rest of us and cause mass unemployment.

updated Apr 7 '09 by wallybrane