programmable-matter
Original: programmable-matter on Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal
Transcript
Panel 1:
Scientist (a bald man with round glasses and a suit): WE HAVE CREATED NANOBOTS, EACH OF WHICH IS CAPABLE OF MOVEMENT, CONNECTION TO OTHER NANOBOTS, SENSING, AND SIGNALLING.
(A framed microscope image on the wall shows several gray cube-shaped nanobots with a scale bar.)
Panel 2:
Scientist: THUS, IF YOU HAVE JUST ONE HANDFUL OF NANO-CLAY, YOU CAN INSTRUCT IT TO RE-FORM INTO ANY SHAPE.
(He holds a glob of green nano-clay.)
Panel 3:
Scientist (holding a green block): IT CAN BE A KNIFE, A BALL, A WRENCH, A PROSTHETIC HAND, ANYTHING.
Panel 4:
Scientist (holding a green wrench): THE ONE TRADEOFF IS THAT BECAUSE THE MATERIAL ITSELF ISN'T SPECIALIZED FOR ANY PURPOSE, NO PARTICULAR CONFIGURATION WILL BE AS GOOD AS A SIMPLE INEXPENSIVE TOOL.
Panel 5:
Audience member (a woman with dark hair, seated between two other audience members): SO, YOU CAN HAVE EVERYTHING AS LONG AS YOU'RE OKAY WITH NOTHING BEING PARTICULARLY GOOD.
Panel 6:
Scientist (smiling broadly): EXACTLY!
Panel 7:
(Exterior shot of a large gray concrete building against a blue sky. A sign in front reads:)
Sign: MIT CENTER FOR ADVANCED METAPHORS FOR HUMAN EXISTENCE
Votey:
(Handwritten text on a blank panel.)
Hi Media Labs!
Scientist (a bald man with round glasses and a suit): WE HAVE CREATED NANOBOTS, EACH OF WHICH IS CAPABLE OF MOVEMENT, CONNECTION TO OTHER NANOBOTS, SENSING, AND SIGNALLING.
(A framed microscope image on the wall shows several gray cube-shaped nanobots with a scale bar.)
Panel 2:
Scientist: THUS, IF YOU HAVE JUST ONE HANDFUL OF NANO-CLAY, YOU CAN INSTRUCT IT TO RE-FORM INTO ANY SHAPE.
(He holds a glob of green nano-clay.)
Panel 3:
Scientist (holding a green block): IT CAN BE A KNIFE, A BALL, A WRENCH, A PROSTHETIC HAND, ANYTHING.
Panel 4:
Scientist (holding a green wrench): THE ONE TRADEOFF IS THAT BECAUSE THE MATERIAL ITSELF ISN'T SPECIALIZED FOR ANY PURPOSE, NO PARTICULAR CONFIGURATION WILL BE AS GOOD AS A SIMPLE INEXPENSIVE TOOL.
Panel 5:
Audience member (a woman with dark hair, seated between two other audience members): SO, YOU CAN HAVE EVERYTHING AS LONG AS YOU'RE OKAY WITH NOTHING BEING PARTICULARLY GOOD.
Panel 6:
Scientist (smiling broadly): EXACTLY!
Panel 7:
(Exterior shot of a large gray concrete building against a blue sky. A sign in front reads:)
Sign: MIT CENTER FOR ADVANCED METAPHORS FOR HUMAN EXISTENCE
Votey:
(Handwritten text on a blank panel.)
Hi Media Labs!
Alt text
A seven-panel SMBC comic. A bald scientist with round glasses presents to an audience. He says they have created nanobots, each capable of movement, connecting to other nanobots, sensing, and signalling; a framed microscope photo on the wall shows cube-shaped nanobots. He explains that one handful of 'nano-clay' can be instructed to re-form into any shape, holding up a green glob. Holding a green block, he says it can be a knife, a ball, a wrench, a prosthetic hand, anything. Holding a green wrench, he adds the one tradeoff: because the material isn't specialized, no configuration will be as good as a simple inexpensive tool. A woman in the audience summarizes: so you can have everything as long as you're okay with nothing being particularly good. The scientist beams and says 'Exactly!' The final panel shows a large gray concrete building with a sign reading 'MIT Center for Advanced Metaphors for Human Existence,' revealing the nanobot pitch was a metaphor for being a generalist. Votey: a handwritten note on a blank panel reads 'Hi Media Labs!'
Transcribed by Claude Opus 4.8.