0
$\begingroup$

Let's say someone with advanced manufacturing capabilities decided to make silicon based life using a human as a template.

Description of the silicon being

  1. Only the exterior of the being is human shaped (assume average human)
  2. Pale white skin
  3. Completely black scleras and retinas
  4. Black hair
  5. Can talk and do just about anything physically a human can do

Is such a being possible? What would be the differences in the biology of the being compared to a human? Is there anywhere this being could/couldn't go that a human could?

Improve this question
$\endgroup$
2
  • $\begingroup$ Try rephrasing your question a little more generally to ask if a silicon-based human is possible without including anything about supercomputers. It might get you a more relevant answer. $\endgroup$
    – Palarran
    Commented Sep 27, 2016 at 3:11
  • $\begingroup$ please try to define silicon being in a more concrete term. $\endgroup$
    – user93
    Commented Oct 3, 2016 at 0:33

2 Answers 2

Reset to default
1
$\begingroup$

No. Of the 10 million or so compounds that are known today, about 9 million of those are carbon containing compounds. There are no silicon-based proteins. There are no silicon-based amino acids. You simply cannot build a human without these ingredients. Sure, you could cover a robot with skin and hair look-alikes, but it would not be able to grow from a single cell like a human; it would have to be manufactured, and it would not be able to constantly repair and maintain itself like a human; it would have to go in for regular maintenance for wear and tear.

Improve this answer
$\endgroup$
1
-1
$\begingroup$

Without going into battery life, such being is impossible. The best a computer could do is simulate human behavior in certain contexts. Humans created computers therefore computers are inherently inferior. Not to degrade advancements in biology and neuroscience, our knowledge of the human body and mind is not enough even for humans to design humans. And as much as sci-fi would try to convince us otherwise, computing power and self awareness are not even in the same library.

If a good enough simulation was created and appropriately powered, I would say it's not going to like Pina Coladas or getting caught in the rain

Improve this answer
$\endgroup$
2
  • 1
    $\begingroup$ "Humans created computers therefore computers are inherently inferior." What a non-sequitur. It makes as much sense as, "I created my son, therefore my son is inherently inferior." Of course it is possible for a creator to create something more complicated than he. $\endgroup$
    – Salmoncrusher
    Commented Sep 27, 2016 at 3:50
  • $\begingroup$ I should've said invented $\endgroup$
    – df86
    Commented Sep 27, 2016 at 11:57

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .