Re: [Sci.nanotech] Re: Too much concern for "safety" and "morality"and "ethics" ofNANO



Toby Kelsey <toby_kelsey@xxxxxxxxxxxx> writes:
Rich wrote:

All this 21st century political correctness will do is hamper
discoveries.

Moral considerations are likely to apply to applications, not discoveries
themselves. Some R&D on innately dangerous processes such as unconstrained
replication might be regulated.

Better not let anyone bake bread then -- it involves "unconstrained
replicators".

It will likely take twice as long for Nanotech
breakthroughs because of the undue influence of moralists.

Which research specifically do you think will be prevented? Was
research on genetics hampered by regulations on dangerous biological
organisms? Or nuclear research hampered by safety regulations?

At Columbia University, and several other places, there used to be
small, utterly safe TRIGA reactors. Most of them are now gone because
people who don't understand anything other than how to be loud and
chant mindless slogans protested a lot. And yes, lots of research has
been hampered by safety regulations that have more to do with politics
than with science.

Kind of like how human anatomy study was hampered for
hundreds of years thanks to idiotic religious prohibitions against
dissections of corpses.

That was based on supernatural religious and vitalist ideas.
Current concerns are based on real-world risks.

Actually, I'd say most of the Gaia tribe are believers in
supernatural, vitalist ideas, they're just named something new.

In order to expedite the process, a certain level of risk should
be assumed.

How do you decide the appropriate level of risk?

I suppose you figure out what your insurance company will cover, and
what it won't. :)

So far you have just argued against regulation. Do you think there
should be any control, regulation or restriction on nanotech
applications at all?

Myself, I'd say "no regulation at all", but I'm a libertarian.

Do you think computer-virus writers should be prosecuted?

Someone who releases a computer virus has harmed others. Someone who
merely *writes* one should not be prosecuted because they've done
nothing.

Perry

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