[mikewarot]

I'd love to work on a Von Neumann probe. A machine that could set down on Mars and make a supply chain complete enough to replace itself, AND have enough capacity to allow the creation of supplies sufficient for human flourishing.

I'd start with one that works in my back yard, and extracts metals from the soil in small quantities.

[goksankobe]

Where would you start though? On software level, I can imagine how this could work, based on genetic algorithms where offsprings evolve by sharing the weights of their neural networks from parents. But self-replicating hardware is quite challenging isn't it?

[mikewarot]

Machine shops make parts for machine shops, with a lot of human labor and control.

So... Just start with machines that can mine and refine metals.