Is Nanotechnology a blessing or a curse?

Is Nanotechnology a blessing or a curse? should research into this new science be halted? because some "experts" believe it could lead to the destruction of this Earth.

They think that if unchecked and allowed to self replicate it would be unstoppable and would overwhelm every thing on this planet. Are the scientists meddling with something they do not understand and will not be able to control?

Apparently, a new book by Michael Crighton called "prey" warns of the danger of this potential new menace. Shouldn't the governments of this World take some action before it is too late!!!

[Michael_W : Capitalised Title]

Well, nanomachines will only do what we program them to do. If we design them to destroy the earth, that is precisely what they will do.

Nanoweapons that are invisible and against which there may be no current defence should be brought under international regulation like Chem and Bio weapons.

But like so many scientific advances, it is a double edged sword - many potential benefits and risks. At the moment it's all about academic, because nanotechnology is mainly about building carbon molecules to order, creating Buckminster Fullerenes, and designiong computer chips.

Tread forward carefully and prevent any secret nano-development where possible. Also reform patent laws.

But the 'grey goo' theory that so frightened Prince Charles is pretty much a fiction from the 60s when nanotech was just a word really.

Hello PRM.

Is it still not a very great danger? are they not creating a monster that cannot be controlled? What if a mad scientist with a grudge to bear, decided to go ahead with this technology to deliberately destroy the Earth.

We have already unwittingly created one with the hydrogen bomb, as it is only a matter of time before we are faced with "armageddon" so we do not need anything else at the moment thank you very much.

The thing that strikes me is that no one seems to care to do anything about it, surely governments of the world should stamp on this sort of lunacy immediately.

The atom bomb and MRI scanning all come from the same technology. What can be used to kill can be used to heal. The technology isn't evil in and of itself, it is the application of that technology that can be value laden.

The same goes for nanotechnology.

The same goes for computers, which, if I remember rightly were going to take over the world. Well they did, and not much has changed.

If you'd care to specify a little more closely what parts of nanotechnology you find threatening, I'd be happy to fill you in with what I know about it, and maybe allay your fears a little.

Can someone explain in simple terms what Nanotechnology is for me, as I am confused as hell about how things can self replicate.

Thanks in anticipation

Thicko

Originally posted by mikey

Can someone explain in simple terms what Nanotechnology is for me, as I am confused as hell about how things can self replicate.

 

Thanks in anticipation

Thicko

As I understand it, nanotechnology is all about building machines on the nanometer scale. A nanometer is one billionth of a meter, i.e very small.

This means building mechanical contrivances with motors, gears and even little robot arms, all out of individual specially made molecules.

The technology already exists to build very strong carbon structures out of monomolecular tubular carbon (bucky tubes (after Buckminster Fuller, one of the greatest brains who ever lived, inventor of the c60 carbon molecule, the geodesic dome etc.))

Making them self constructing is a necessity because 1 nanomachine can't do much on it's own, but you need millions of them - laborious work one at a time.

This part hasn't been acheived yet.

The benefits are easy to imagine. Medical nanobots that flow through your blood stream, keeping artery walls clean, or nanoshampoo, millions of tiny robots in your hair, keeping it clean.

of course, nanotechnology will put to use as a weapon as well, and the possibilities are hideous....

There is something important to remeber about nano technology. They will be more like mechaical bacteria or virii. They will work like this "bump into things and move them about" and not like "turn this man into a frog." So for many many years they will just be expensive imitaitions of stuff already out there.

Incidentally Science Fiction books on nano technology are nothing new, Micheal Chricheton is good at doing old ideas well, but not much else.

Originally posted by richard

...

Incidentally Science Fiction books on nano technology are nothing new, Micheal Chricheton is good at doing old ideas well, but not much else.

Have you read 'The Diamond Age' by Neal Stephenson, or any of the Manchester Set Books by Jeff Noon (Vurt, Pollen, Nymphomation)?

Some nice imaginative work with nanotechnology there. Especially in execution methods....

Just been reading this thread, and I haven't a clue what it's all about...

What is Nanotechnology, after 20 years does it still exist, or is it now ancient technology.

36 minutes ago, Padders said:

Just been reading this thread, and I haven't a clue what it's all about...

What is Nanotechnology, after 20 years does it still exist, or is it now ancient technology.

 

 

Slow night Padders?  😀

4 minutes ago, hackey lad said:

Slow night Padders?  😀

I know, Irene's hot footed it from the joint....

10 hours ago, Padders said:

Just been reading this thread, and I haven't a clue what it's all about...

What is Nanotechnology, after 20 years does it still exist, or is it now ancient technology.

Crichton's book was published over 20 years ago and there's still absolutely no threat.  He was also a well know Climate Change denier, so I wouldn't trust his outdated opinions very much.  He died a long time ago.