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Nanotech Basics
Members of the Global Task Force of The Center for Responsible Nanotechnology (CRN) have written 11 key essays addressing the profound implications of molecular manufacturing. They were published in the current issue of Nanotechnology Perceptions and are also available on KurzweilAI.net for discussion on the MindX forum.
Published on KurzweilAI.net March 27, 2006
Nanotechnology—the precise engineering of tiny but powerful
machines—is advancing quickly, leaping from the pages of science
fiction into world-class research laboratories, and coming soon
to a desktop near you.
Like electricity or computers before it, nanotechnology will bring
greatly improved efficiency and productivity in many areas of human
endeavor. In its mature form, known as molecular nanotechnology
(MNT) or molecular manufacturing (MM), it will have significant
impact on almost all industries and all parts of society. Personal
nanofactories (PNs) may offer better built, longer lasting, cleaner,
safer, and smarter products for the home, for communications, for
medicine, for transportation, for agriculture, and for industry
in general.
However, as a general-purpose technology, MM will be dual-use,
meaning that in addition to its civilian applications, it will have
military uses as well—making far more powerful weapons and
tools of surveillance. Thus, it represents not only wonderful benefits
for humanity, but also grave risks.
Progress toward developing the technical requirements for desktop
molecular manufacturing is moving forward rapidly. By reading the
collection of essays in the March 27 issue of Nanotechnology
Perceptions—or reading them here at KurweilAI.net—you
will learn how PNs will bring radical changes to society, and to
your life.
Several factors will come together to make MM truly revolutionary.
- Cost: One PN can build another PN as easily as any other product,
so nanofactories will be neither scarce nor expensive. Labor costs
will also be minimal, since PNs will be automated. Small carbon-based
molecules (feedstock) are quite inexpensive.
- Exponential manufacturing: One PN can be made to build two,
or a small system can build one twice as big. Working in parallel,
manufacturing capacity can double every few hours. Within just
a few months, a single molecular manipulation device could be
expanded to PN's with a combined capacity of thousands of tons
per hour. The PN architecture can even scale to individual factories
of industrial size.
- Precision: Atoms of each type are identical with each other,
and products made from precisely placed atoms also will be identical—more
reliable and easier to manufacture.
- High performance: Small machines are more powerful than large
ones—perhaps a million times more powerful, when shrunk to
nano-scale—and precise materials are perhaps 100 times stronger.
Also, precise surfaces can have extremely low friction and wear.
Nanofactory-built products could include large numbers of small,
high-performance machines.
- General-purpose manufacturing: Structures will be made by automated
placement of tiny building blocks, so changing the program (blueprint)
will change the product. A wide range of components and products
is possible, including computers, sensors, motors, and displays,
and combinations thereof.
- Rapid prototyping: Because a nanofactory will make a complete
product in a few minutes from any given blueprint, new product
designs could be built and tested almost immediately, and at very
low cost.
OVERVIEW OF ESSAYS
In August 2005, the Center for Responsible Nanotechnology (CRN),
a non-profit research and advocacy organization, announced the formation
of a Task Force convened to study the societal implications of this
rapidly emerging technology. Bringing together a diverse group of
world-class experts from multiple disciplines, CRN is spearheading
an historic, collaborative effort to develop comprehensive recommendations
for the safe and responsible use of nanotechnology.
Many of the profound implications of molecular manufacturing are
explored in an initial collection of 11 new essays, all written
by members of the CRN Task Force and published in the March 24 issue
of Nanotechnology Perceptions. From military and security
issues to human enhancement, artificial intelligence, and more,
we take a look under the lid of Pandora's box to see what the future
might hold. A second collection of essays exploring additional concerns
will form the next issue of Nanotechnology Perceptions.
Reacting to the huge risks of MM, some advocate that all research
be halted. Our first two essays, "Nanotechnology
Dangers and Defenses" by inventor and author Ray Kurzweil and
"Molecular
Manufacturing: Too Dangerous to Allow?" by Nanomedicine
author Robert A. Freitas Jr., explore these issues. They survey
the dangers, discuss ways to mitigate them, and analyze the weaknesses
of relinquishment.
"Nano-Guns,
Nano-Germs, and Nano-Steel," an essay by Mike Treder, explores
the troubling topic of nanotech-enabled warfare. Tom Cowper, an
expert in policing and criminology, offers his special perspective
in "Molecular
Manufacturing and 21st Century Policing." In "The
Need For Limits," Chris Phoenix explains that we may face unprecedented
risks as MM's revolutionary potential dissolves the barriers that
keep us safe.
After Giulio Prisco explores the real-world challenge of "Globalization
and Open Source Nano Economy," Damien Broderick provides a broad
historical perspective of the relationship between society and technology
in "Cultural
Dominants and Differential MNT Uptake."
Advanced nanotechnology could go well beyond making better consumer
goods and better weapons. In "Nanoethics
and Human Enhancement," professional ethicists Patrick Lin and
Fritz Allhoff look into the controversial aspects of using MM to
change our bodies and minds. Noted futurist Natasha Vita-More then
lays out the problems our grey matter could face in "Strategic
Sustainable Brain."
Computers built by nanofactories may be millions of times more
powerful than anything we have today. The potential for creating
world-changing artificial intelligence is examined by scientist
J. Storrs Hall in "Is
AI Near a Takeoff Point?" Finally, if some of our worst scenarios
become real, we may face truly existential dilemmas. These are surveyed
in depth by best-selling author David Brin in "Singularities
and Nightmares: The Range of Our Futures."
As editors of these essays, we will be pleased if you are entertained
and informed. But we will be further gratified if you are inspired
to learn more. We hope you'll want to get involved in the vital
work of raising awareness and finding effective solutions to the
challenges presented to the world by advanced nanotechnology.
Mike Treder, Executive Director
Chris Phoenix, Director of Research
Center for Responsible Nanotechnology (www.CRNano.org)
Note: The opinions expressed in these essays are those of
the individual authors and do not necessarily represent the opinions
of the Center for Responsible Nanotechnology, nor of its parent
organization, World Care.
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Mind·X Discussion About This Article:
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Re: Nanotech Basics
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These will be interesting and no doubts enlightening briefs, and I am glad we are having the chance to read them.
Personally to me MM represents the next stage in our evolutionary journey within the Universe as a species - only in this, next step, we will have, for the 1st time in the history [that we know of] mankind and animal life on this planet, the opportunity to consciously intervene in the evolutionary process.
Post Humans are a very real future reality in my mind, and I can well see us as a species entering a very enlightening era, a new age of enlightened awareness you might say.
MM offers up so many possibilities for mankind, and it would be a real shame if everyday civilization like me and you, or the man out walking his dog right now in some park, or the scientist reading these articles as I am, let the governments we now live under, [and used to employ - but instead these days they employ themselves more and more] take-over MM and use it solely for militaristic type purposes while continuing to claim that the general public is incapable of realising the every growing threats we are now supposed to face, and as a result we shouldn't be aloud to see such new discoveries let alone utilize them.
All excuses to just herd us like cattle in their chosen direction if you ask me, when really it should be US that is telling them what needs to be done, after all we employ them don't we?
The Universe is a VAST entity with many other such VAST Entities within it, and MM offers us up the opportunity of seeing it/them, and more importantly understanding it/them at it/their most fundamental levels.
At present we Humans are stuck to one planet and are only capable of processing and utilizing vast complex amounts of data via still very bulky machines that we employ to do the most complex of the analysis of such data for us.
With MM we could smash through wall that is holding us back, and design our very bodies and minds to become both self aware Human/person AND analytical machines with improved brain speeds and data storage; no longer relying on bulky machines to do the work for us, but actually doing it in our own minds, and in so doing understanding that "data" with ever more greater depths of awareness.
I say bring on the singularity and MM, but lets make it for every man woman and child, and not just for the hawks WE employ to govern OUR societies.
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