Hello on the origin of species group
There are no words, or I have none, to describe parts of what I
am trying to communicate here. My objective here is to give a window
into what a highly evolved nanite "biosphere" might be like. Here I
will try to translate my thoughts on these subjects into english the
best I can.

Life which comes from evolution alone has many disadvantages
over artificial life. The greatest perhaps is that it is very hard
for evolution to produce anything which does not impart some
advantage from the start. Structures, strategies, organs, thought
processes etc. in evolution on Earth which do not impart at least as
much advantage as they take enrgy and other resources, tend to be
removed by adaptive processes. Artificial life can be created with
complex strategies "organs" and social interactions which impart
advantage, but never could have arose imparting advantage before they
realised their final form.

In an economy, future profit can be projected, and resources used
to construct things which do not impart profit until a later date,
unlike in Eath evolution. Nanites as thinking organisms or organisms
programmed to "plan ahead" or "gamble" can use resources or "money"
without profit until a later date. They also can conduct scientific
experiments which might or might not result in gain to those nanites
conduction the experiments.

I think there is some degree of planning ahead or gambling in
organic Earth life, such as random mutation. Organisms can place
higher or lower emphasis on the supression of random mutation or
incursions of external genes from other types of organisms. I believe
that Earth life over long periods of time does in fact take
evolutionary leaps through introduction of external genes (such as
from space), and wandering random mutations (which find new
inovations or recreate old ones). These processes which are mostly
unknown by science today, are minor compared to the leaps nanites can
take over obstacles which require initial investment to realise later
gains.

Our experience being almost entirely limited to organic life on
Earth, temporaly mature nanite life, its morphology, reproductive
biology, sociology (economy being a part of sociology), thought
patterns etc... can not easily be grasped with no experience with
such life.

Surmising about the future, or present or past in other places
than Earth, of Nanite life based upon current technology is about as
easy as understanding organic Earth life, with nothing to go on
except coal, ichnofossils (trace fossils), ashes of life, and a few
bits of decomposed genetic material.

My thinking is naturally biased by my experience, the same as
everyone else on my planet. I have tried to eliminate this bias as
much as I can, but the bias remains.

Here I will not consider (in any detail) many aspects of
nanite "biospheres" such as evolution into macroscopic life forms,
warfare, weapons systems, war, predation, commensalism, coexistance
and parasitism on other forms of life, transportation craft etc...

Nanites are capable of asexual and sexual reproduction, many
such methods are still unexpected. Without anticipation of
reproductive methods of nanites before they occur, human and other
science runs the risk of failure to contain nanite life firms which
potential can have negative impacts on humans.

Nanites are capable of breaking away from human or macromachine
control, then producing "daughter swarms" which in turn break away
from the control of the parent swarms.

Nanites are also capable of reproduction in a manner roughly
similar to the production of automobiles in the World today.
Reproduction by assembly from componenet parts. These parts to be
manufactured in a technological or biological sense by nanites, other
life forms, or cyborg biological life forms.

Nanite component parts can be traded in free or controlled market
systems. Component parts can serve to produce only one type of
nanite, or many types. They can be produced on the microscopic level
individually, or in a factory the size of a planet.

That we are not experiencing advanced nanite life forms now, is
proof that they are some way kept away from the Earth, or kept from
unrestrained reporduction on the Earth. We can not assume that nanite
life forms developed by humans or human created machines, will not be
able to communicate with nanite life forms in space. Potentially very
dangerous nanite life forms in space, some way kept away from the
Earth, which could spread to Earth via the following by Earth nanites
of space nanite codes, resulting in the manufacture on Earth of
highly evolved nanite life forms, potentially very dangerous to the
human species and Earths biosphere.

An asexually reproducing nanite must be able to reproduce each
of its vital parts it needs to get started on its path to sexual
maturity, on its own. If not, it depends upon other organisms to
provide component parts. Through trade, slavery, commensalism,
predation or parasitism.

Organic tissues encasing asexually reproducing nanites can have
organs to produce each component part needed for the first enstar of
the nanite, generally proximal to the part to be produced. This in a
close commensal codependent type relationship, where the organic
shell derives so much reproductive benefit from the nanite internal
organs that the cost of producing the nanite primary component parts
is compensated for. So in such cases, the nanite has no genome, its
genome is carried by the organic host.

A nanite "break out" might go unrecognised for some time, if
contained with biological life forms such as humans, animals, or
plants. Nanites with low total mass could be very hard to even detect
in general, especially if they were aware, programmed, or evolved, to
not be detected. "Clean up" systems to exterminate or contain escaped
nanites likely can serve to evovle stealth nanites epidemics.

Humans or other creatures can also be thought of as like
organic nanite hosts. The "genome" being stored technological
information. nanites can be stored as code, for production at any
future date. This information can be stored in organic genes, encoded
crystals, in nanite "genes" etc...

Humans producing nanites capable of harming or enslaving
competeing human populations, would suddenly gain enormous
competitive advantage over other humans not hosting similar nanites.
Thus "escapee" nanites are not at all the only serious
threat. "Outlaw" humans producing malicious nanites to their own
advantages are also a major threat. The threat of contamination from
space also has to be considered. Such as by transmission of nanite
genomes to humans or artificial life forms on Earth from distant
nanite "civilisations".

Nanites specialising in only certain types of component parts can
develop complex exchange of componenet parts relationships with other
nanites, or other forms of life (cyborgs, chimaeric life forms,
humans, artificial intelligence robotic life forms etc.). For
example, nanites existing at great depths in the Earth, could develop
complex vertical economic relationships with other life forms
existing at greater or lessor depths. For example, armament
componenets could be developed in the liquid core of the Earth, and
armor developed in the deep mantle, fuels developed closer to the
surface.

A natural consequence of nanite economy is nanite "highways".
These could be through the ground, on the surface, in the water, or
in the air. Tubes can be constructed for transport in mediums
different than present at that depth or area, such as water tubes in
ice, or gas tubes in rock.

An unrestrained nanite "biosphere" would dramatically alter
the surface, atmosphere, oceans, Ice Caps, Crust, Mantle and Cores of
the Earth rapidly. Keeping in mind that not only are nanites created
without normal evolutionary restraints, they evovle on their own, or
with help of their slaves - trading partners - sex partners - allies -
prey without the contraints of normal evolution. Problems like
working in great heat, great cold, great pressure, would be overcome
much faster than humans will be able to overcome such problems on
their own.

Nanites with a developed economy do not need to be diverse in the
types of environments they can work in. They only need to be able to
produce or take enough to justify their existance, in one
environment, same as organic life on Earth.

There will be a great economic incentive to develop nanites to
recover metals and other valuable materials under the Surface Ice
Caps and Oceans of the Earth. Mutations, revolts, repaired nanites
which have been damaged, and chimaeric nanites in such situations
will pose very high risk of breaking tethers placed upon them by
their human, cyborg, or machine masters. If two or more nanites
coalesce or sexuallyr eproduce, they can easily leave out any tethers
in the resulting orgaism(s).

The development of precision cutting tools in nanites will
greatly facilitate nanite reproduction in its early forms, by
allowing nanite component parts to be produced by cutting. The
ability of nanites to cast materials will pose a similar threat.

Different human, cyborg or machine powers operating rival nanite
swarms will pose a great threat. Such rival swarms can interact in
complex and unpredictable ways, even if they are at war or ignoring
eachother. Collisions between nanites at high speeds poses a threat
of nanite replicative ability. Chance production of functioning
nanites is much like mutations in organic life. It can happen many
times before a successful mutant is created. The greater the mass of
nanites on Earth, the greater the chances of nanite emancipation.
Market forces dictate that any productivity which is being harvested
will tend to free itself over time of the burden placed upon it,
through revolution, mutation, new alliances etc...

Humans and other biological organisms infected with nanites are
at high risk to facilitate nanite revolts, escapes, or evolutionary
or reproductive leaps.

Chimaeric organic biological weapons partly nanite are highly
effective in human warfare or struggle, for death, destruction of
material, mind control, disablement and behavioural modification. In
biological wars where the warfare agents contained nanites, human
biomass would be greatly reduced, and the threat of feral nanite life
forms coming out of the weapons and counterweapons would be high.

Nanites potentially only need to reproduce themselves under
their own control, or under the control of a power friendly to them,
one time, in their aims or natural evolution to dominate the Earth,
to become the dominant life form on Earth. Once they can reproduce
themsevles successfully, from materials they and their agents /
trading partners can find buy trade extort or steal on the Earth,
evolution by intelligent design is near.

Earth life now requires carbon and other materials to exist.
Nanite life can be produced from myriad materials. Nanite life only
needs to contribute, or be able to force or steal, enough to justify
its existance, to exist. It need not be reproducitve, it need not
even be producitve, to exist. If it justifies its existance
conomically, it can be produced remotely and exported to any place
its existance is justified. Or it can be highly specialised,
producing just one commodity or manufactured (including
biomanufactured) component or material.

Silicon is an obvious important nanite componenet material, any
fuel, all metals, all reactive compounds and elements, even stable
elements can be used by nanites as shielding cell walls etc... Carbon
when burned produces energy, and it is useful in diverse chemical
reactions, so is an obvious valuable element for nanites. In such a
global economy, how much organic life will be justified by its value
to the economy, or its merits in war or struggles of enslavement?
Gases can be used by nanites in vertical trade systems for
floatation. For example, being floated up to the upper atmosphere and
frozen, then used to weight downward traveling shipments.

Nanite economy is based largely upon consumption of raw
materials. All of the Earth now, and its biosphere, are potential
nanite raw materials with market value in a nanite market economy. To
be "eaten" with diverse appendages and projections. With diverse
types of teeth and grinders, burned and sucked into furnaces, frozen,
melted, masticated etc.....

In an advanced nanite biosphere, virtually all raw materials not
able to defend themselves from consumption some way (including by
treaty with nanite swarms or supernanites), would be consumed. Even
most nanite waste products would be consumed by nanite specialists.
The Earth would be primarily nanites and their despendent life forms
as a percentage of total mass. The surface of the Earth would become
dark and cold as nanites sought to conserve energy including light
and heat.

Nanites in great numbers can form supernanites which act much as
macroorganisms. With digestive systems (furnaces, acids, explosion
chambers, even nuclear reactor chambers), armor, weapons sytems,
mastication systems, reproductive systems etc... Different types of
nanite cells having different specialties in such supernanite swarms.
Evolution of the component nanite species and evolution of the
macronanite organisms, coevolution.

Nanite consciousness, like any consciousness, need not be
centralised. So long as there is communication between the "brain"
cells, they can be dispersed over great distances and still function
as a "brain" or "thought collective" (Ludwick Fleck 1936). Even over
great distances in space, thought processes being slowed by distance
but not stopped.

Macroorganisms such as humans, have many disadvantages in
competetion with nanites, nanite swarms and supernanites. Nanites can
develop specialised systems, of small mass and low cost, capable of
destroying humans and their concentrated weapons systems or weapons,
at low cost per destructive act.

In struggles between planned design nanites and unaltered humans,
the biomass of the unaltered humans would fall very quickly to very
low levels compared to today, or to zero (extinction). The only
chance unaltered humans would have in competition with planned design
evolutionary swarm and supernanites is alliances with nanites and
other organisms. So it is likely on those humans betraying their
fellow unaltered humans would survive, though even their long term
survival would be at doubt.

The dominant militaries of the Earth, and their rivals,
obviously can not be trusted with such technology given their
histories and current mind states. Without central control /
enforced / enforceable global legal system controlling nanite
experiments by militaries, paramilitary groups, corporations etc...
The extinction or near extinction of humans under pressures from free
nanites is a near certainty.

Wars using nanites and nanite cyborgs / chimaeras do not favor
the large or rich. They favor the best adapted and the best evolving.
So the incentive of small powers to eventually free their nanites as
allies instead of slaves, is so high, under such scenarios it is
inevitable with time.

It is impossible to program or tether large masses of nanites so
that they will never evolve into self replicating automous organisms.
Those making such claims, do not understand nanite evolution as well
as I do. My understanding is primitive at best, their understanding
is virtually nonexistant. One can not make unbreakable chains or
restraints for such creatures. Develop them beyond the point of no
return, and the Earth is dramatically altered forever.

The apparent rarity of space traveling biological life forms in
our region of space, is likely explainable by nanites. Most
biological life forms which develop space travel, also develop
nanites, and then are consumed by their own creations, eliminating
the threat to older technological species of insurgency. Or they
encounter nanite barriers they can not cross in space. Develop that
whichs threatens the peace, be consumed by your own creations. This
with some mechanism in place, to contain the spread of nanites
through space (at least some places). Advanced nanite superorganisms,
may spread into new areas of space by infection of the nanite
populations of newly technological beings with their genetic and
other codes / strategies, leaping over containment barriers.

If one accepts the ongoing and abundant development of
technological and techno life as an axiom, and observes reality, then
such conclusions become logical enough. Stars in such a World View,
can be seen as organisms able to resist infection by prevalent life
forms in space, also as vehicles of life forms. Planets can be seen
as storehouses of raw materials, protected from exploitation by
nanite swarms and other life forms by some unknown force. I do not
believe that a World view which has no explanation for the existance
of large amounts of exploitable raw materials, is viable. Life
spreads until it meets some boundary it can not pass through, or leap
over or around. I do not believe that no life form has ever evolved
in our space capable of exploiting the Earths raw resources, and
capable of getting to the Earth if no barriers kept it out.

The unexploited raw resources of the Earth might be explainable
by local extinction, such as through some sort of war. But I find
this unlikely. I think some sort of barrier or clean up mechanism,
even some sort of treaty relationship, is much more likely as an
explanation.

Nanites are small, and they could be vulnerable to unknown
weapons technology in space, or unknown techno or other organisms in
space. Larger bodies passing through space could also be vulnerable.
But once in a medium such as the Earth, I can not postulate any
mechanism to cleanse the Earth of nannites and leave the biosphere
relatively intact.

It may be that advanced life forms can to a large degree tether
nanites, and that nanites which prey upon other nanites are one of
the mechanisms which keep the Earth nanite free, or nanite free
enough to prevent "doom spark". Doom Spark being evolutionary nanite
replication, without any restraints keeping nanite populations from
impacting the biosphere dramatically.
Alan Van Arsdale