Meaning of grey goo | Babel Free

Definitions

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).

uncountable

Examples

“"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."”

“[…]Through this, they learn⟳ more, and manage⟳ to reverse-engineer the ion drives of the drone, allowing them to move⟳ the station very rapidly towards Earth. On their way, they manage⟳ to send⟳ signals to multiple Foundation facilities, overriding them and using their fabrication plants to make⟳ new nanomachines. At this rate, it won't be long before there's a good old-fashioned grey-goo scenario, and humanity and the Earth are similarly consumed.”

CEFR level