(or
Global Ecophagy) Consuming the biological environment. Coined and defined by
Robert A. Freitas Jr. (Research Scientist Zyvex Corp). Frequently associated
with "gray goo," as ecophagy (uncontrolled self-replication) is its main prupose. See "Some
Limits to Global Ecophagy by Biovorous
Nanoreplicators, with Public Policy
Recommendations" where Dr. Freitas said "Perhaps the
earliest-recognized and best-known danger of molecular
nanotechnology is the risk that
self-replicating nanorobots
capable of functioning autonomously in the natural environment could quickly
convert that natural environment (e.g., "biomass") into replicas of
themselves (e.g., "nanomass") on a global basis, a scenario usually
referred to as the 'gray goo problem' but perhaps more properly termed
'global ecophagy.'"
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