Nanotech Pioneer Calms Fears of Runaway Replicators
From: Foresight Institute (foresight_at_foresight.org)
Date: 06/10/04
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Date: 10 Jun 2004 03:12:48 GMT
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
NANOTECHNOLOGY PIONEER CALMS FEARS OF RUNAWAY REPLICATORS
INSTITUTE OF PHYSICS PUBLISHES ARTICLE ON SAFE EXPONENTIAL MANUFACTURING
Palo Alto, CA -- June 9, 2004 -- The overactive fear of grey goo and out-of-
control nano-replicators is scientifically addressed in the paper "Safe
Exponential
Manufacturing," released today by The Institute of Physics in their journal
Nanotechnology. Co-authored by Dr. Eric Drexler, founder of Foresight Institute
and author of Nanosystems and Engines of Creation, and Chris Phoenix, Director
of Research at the Center for Responsible Nanotechnology (CRN), "Safe
Exponential Manufacturing" analyzes risks, concerns, progress, misperceptions,
and safety guidelines for future molecular nanotechnology (MNT) development.
UPDATED MOLECULAR NANOTECHNOLOGY CONCEPTS
Drexler introduced the concepts of nanotechnology through his 1981 article in
the
Proceeding of the National Academy of Sciences and his 1986 book Engines of
Creation. The PNAS article was based on a biological model of molecular
machine systems -- hence the early focus on self-replication -- but the logic of
the technology led to the very different, non-biological approach described by
Nanosystems in 1992 and in the more recent literature.
"Research and thinking in this area has come a long way since the earlier
works,"
says Drexler. "Molecular machine systems can be thoroughly non-biological, and
self replication is not necessary."
In particular, it turns out that developing manufacturing systems that use tiny,
self-replicating machines would be needlessly inefficient and complicated. The
simpler, more efficient, and more obviously safe approach is to make nanoscale
tools and put them together in factories big enough to make what you want.
Throughout history, people have used tools to make more and better tools.
That's how we got from blacksmiths tools to automated industries. The natural
path for
nanotechnology is similar.
Since the publication of Nanosystems, the focus for Drexler and his colleagues
has been on desktop-scale manufacturing devices. This nano-factory is based on
the convergent assembly architecture, developed by Professor Ralph Merkle,
where small parts are put together to form larger parts, starting with
nanoscale
blocks. The machines in this would work like the conveyor belts and assembly
robots in a factory, doing similar jobs. If you pulled one out, it would be as
inert as a light bulb pulled from its socket. See nanofactory Images.
http://www.foresight.org/NanoRev/nanofactory.html
FORESIGHT INSTITUTE GUIDELINES FOR MOLECULAR MANUFACTURING
With the fear of runaway replicators now in better perspective, attention on
molecular nanotechnology can be directed to more important issues, including
how the technology will be used, and by whom. Molecular nanotechnology will
introduce a clean, large-scale manufacturing capacity that will impact humanity
on a global level. These systems will affect all areas of society including
medicine, the environment, national security, space development, economics,
intellectual property, and privacy.
"To prepare for the unprecedented power of molecular machine systems,
Foresight Institute created the Foresight Guidelines on Molecular
Nanotechnology," said Christine Peterson, President and co-founder of Foresight
Institute. "Rather than focus on scenarios of runaway replicators, we should
anticipate how molecular manufacturing can be used to improve our health and
quality of life, restore the environment, and prevent acts of aggression."
PERTINENT LINKS AND IMAGES
IOP Published paper - Safe Exponential Manufacturing
http://www.iop.org/EJ/journal/0957-4484
Foresight Guidelines for Molecular Manufacturing
http://foresight.org/guidelines/current.html
Nanofactory Images
http://www.foresight.org/NanoRev/nanofactory.html
Professor Ralph Merkle
http://www.merkle.com/
About Foresight Institute
Foresight Institute is the leading public interest organization focused on
nanotechnology. Formed in 1986 by K. Eric Drexler and Christine Peterson,
Foresight provides education, information, and public policy development on the
topic of molecular nanotechnology and molecular manufacturing. The
organization's goal is to guide emerging technologies to improve the human
condition and environment.
About The Institute of Physics
The Institute of Physics is a leading international professional society with
over
37,000 members, which promotes the advancement and dissemination of
knowledge of and education in the science of physics, pure and applied. It has a
world-wide membership and is a major international player in scientific
publishing and electronic dissemination of research in physics and
nanotechnology.
Foresight Institute
PO Box 61058
Palo Alto, CA 94306 USA
tel +1 650 917 1122
fax +1 650 917 1123
foresight@foresight.org
www.foresight.org
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