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Is Programmable Matter A Direct Star Trek Like Consequence of Wolfram Physics?
If underlying spacetime is a constantly evolving graph like network of nodes, is it possible to deliberately rewrite the network to fashion, literally, anything?
The Concept of Nanotechology
In the recently debut of the third series of Star Trek: Discovery we see a 32nd century Federation using programmable matter in many forms from customer user interfaces to detached warp nacelles.
The canon explanation reveals its nature as “consisting of minute nano-molecules, the matter had the abilities of redistributing and redesigning itself into pre-programmed shapes.”
This idea has been popular in science fiction for some time with nanomachines or nanobots being a popular trope for the low level construction and repair of both organic and inorganic matter.
Indeed, research is already well underway with regard to nanotechnological applications in everything from the repair of arteries in the human body, to the diagnostic of medical conditions in human biology and dentistry¹.
Prototype nanomachines already exist that can propel “DNA, proteins, quantum dots, and other nanoparticles” through tiny nanoscale corridors.
Going Deeper and Smaller
However, with nanotechnology in its current form we are effectively manipulating what already exists in terms of matter be it existing molecular substances down to atoms themselves — with increasingly smaller and smaller machines — or some kind of localised field effect such as electro-magnetics.
Matter was being naively rearranged on smaller and smaller scales until the ability to rearrange atoms themselves was realised, as in IBM’s 1989 letter writing with individual Xenon atoms. From here it’s a matter of time (no pun intended) until accessible machines will be developed to perform this process on demand.
This is the level of technology, and scale, at which devices in the Star Trek universe such as the replicator (rearranges atoms to produce desired goods, usually food and drink) and the transporter (rearranges you, sends you somewhere, puts you back together) are envisaged to operate.
