grey goo

English

Alternative forms
  • gray goo (chiefly US)

Etymology

Coined by Eric Drexler in his 1986 book Engines of Creation.

Noun

grey goo (uncountable)

  1. A hypothetical end-of-the-world event involving nanotechnology, in which out-of-control self-replicating nanobots consume all life on Earth (or another planet or moon).
    • 2007 August 24, Howard Tayler, Schlock Mercenary‎, archived from the original on 11 May 2024:
      "Our first priority has to be quarantining Xinchub's body, and examining any Yomingians who may have handled it. I don't think we're headed for a grey-goo scenario here, but we'd all feel really bad if the local biosphere got consumed by nanobots after we left."
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