Two gentlemen, whom I’ll call Mr Addam and Mr Bitte, had a conversation. Mr Addam is an hardware engineer whilst Mr Bitte has more software oriented leanings.
* * *
Mr A remarked, “Say, B, you’ve spent a lot of time doing software and building virtual things. What’s up with that?”
“Well, A, it’s all going to go virtual, don’t you think?”
Mr A said, “Oh dear, I do hope not. I like things. Why, I like things so much that I have a numerically controlled ‘laser’ in my home, to make things!”
Mr B said, “Files are things too.”
Mr A muttered, “Says you.”
“What was that? Anyway… Personal manufacturing is a wonderful trend. Like the tailors in Sleeper, or the makers in Diamond Age. I don’t think we’ll see personal factories in every garage, though it’ll certainly be available to enthusiasts such as your fine self, Mr A.”
“But how can everything go virtual? We’re made of atoms. I dare say that even you are made of atoms.”
“Hm, indeed. The makers in Diamond age produced objects, chairs and whatnot, that weighed practically nothing, using as few atoms as possible. But more and more of our activities don’t involve atoms at all.”
Mr A said, “I’d like to think that’s a trend which will run its course, and we can return more to atoms from this unfortunate detour into bits.”
“Virtual is always cheaper. I suspect, ” Mr B began, “that that’s why we haven’t been visited. You know, by them. Perhaps every civilization reaches a breakeven point where –.”
Mr A was naturally eager to reground the conversation. “UPS’s new slogan is ‘Synchronizing the World of Commerce’. I saw it on their trucks.”
“Um. Catchy.”
“It’s indicative that atoms are catching up to bits –”
“That ‘laser’ cutter in your garage uses files for its input right?”
“Yes, exactly!” Mr A cried. “Don’t you see? As we create finer and finer machines, the distance between file, facture and artifact becomes smaller and smaller! The file equals the artifact!” He paused a moment, looking upwards, calculating. “Aah, give or take a few ergs.”
Mr B considered. “Well, I suppose that if we do continue living in our bodies — and that’s just a premise, not a conclusion — then we’ll continue to splurge on the expense of atoms.” He sighed. “But virtual is always cheaper, Mr A.”
* * *