replicators
Things that reproduce
Replicators are things that make copies of themselves.
In biology, genes and viruses are natural replicators.
In science fiction, replicators are machines that can reproduce or manufacture objects—most famously the devices in Star Trek that synthesize food and equipment from raw matter: She ordered a cup of tea from the replicator.
The term appears in discussions of nanotechnology and artificial intelligence, where self-replicating machines raise both promise and concern.
Genetically identical organism
- duplicateExact replica of original
- reproductionCopying or procreation
- facsimileExact reproduction of original
- copyIdentical reproduction made
mirror · twin · doppelganger · photocopy · imitation · recreate · reproduce · transcribe
Nuclear division producing identical cells
- fissionNuclear breakup releasing energy
- buddingDeveloping from an outgrowth
- DNAHereditary code molecule
- RNAGene expression molecule
propagation · reproduction · proliferation · virus · prion · gene · genome · heredity
Converts assembly to executable
- fabricatorCreator of lies
- automationSelf-operating system design
- roboticsAutomaton design field
- manufacturingIndustrial product creation
production · factory · assembly · mechanism · device · apparatus · industrial · nanobots
Amino acid polymers
- enzymesReaction-speeding proteins
- nucleotidesDNA and RNA subunits
- peptidesBonded amino acid sequences
- polymerizationMonomers bonding into chains
catalyst · template · transcription · translation · ribosome · mRNA · tRNA · codon
Product-finding operation
- spreadTo distribute widely
- propagationAct of spreading widely
- amplificationIncrease in intensity
- exponentialIncreasing by constant ratio
growth · expansion · increase · escalation · breeding · generation · multiplying · cascade
clone
Genetically identical organism
- duplicateExact replica of original
- reproductionCopying or procreation
- facsimileExact reproduction of original
copy · mirror · twin · doppelganger · photocopy · imitation · recreate · reproduce · transcribe · reprint
mitosis
Nuclear division producing identical cells
- fissionNuclear breakup releasing energy
- buddingDeveloping from an outgrowth
- DNAHereditary code molecule
RNA · propagation · reproduction · proliferation · virus · prion · gene · genome · heredity · offspring
assembler
Converts assembly to executable
- fabricatorCreator of lies
- automationSelf-operating system design
- roboticsAutomaton design field
manufacturing · production · factory · assembly · mechanism · device · apparatus · industrial · nanobots · constructor
proteins
Amino acid polymers
- enzymesReaction-speeding proteins
- nucleotidesDNA and RNA subunits
- peptidesBonded amino acid sequences
polymerization · catalyst · template · transcription · translation · ribosome · mRNA · tRNA · codon · ligase
multiplication
Product-finding operation
- spreadTo distribute widely
- propagationAct of spreading widely
- amplificationIncrease in intensity
exponential · growth · expansion · increase · escalation · breeding · generation · multiplying · cascade · outbreak
- nanotechnologynanoparticles, carbon nanotube, nanobots, carbon nanotubes, nanorobots
- post-scarcityabundance, plenty, surplus, cornucopia, sufficiency
- prelifemicrospheres
replicatorsoriginals
Authentic first versions
prototypes · archetypes · originators · templates · source material
replicatorsdestroyers
Fast armed naval vessels
annihilators · eliminators · eradicators · terminators · destructors