Dangers of Molecular Nanotechnology (MNT) Prt 2
NANOWEAPONRY: THE NEWARMS RACE – Nanofactories make the manufacture of many kinds of weapons possible with incredibly accurate computerized systems. While older technologies were both difficult and costly, nanoweapons could be manufactured easily and quickly. Conventional style weapons made more powerful and new weapons such as poison-carrying nanorobots could be made by the billions nearly cost-free and delivered remotely. Once inhaled, they might even be tailor-made to kill only people with specific genetic signatures, thus used as a means for ethnic cleansing. An arms race could trigger reckless development and testing of new weapons with unpredictable results. Experts agree this is probably the #1 potential danger of molecular nanotechnology. ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT AND EXISTENTIAL DANGERS – The use of nanofactories to make countless cheap, durable products could lead to ‘disposable thinking’ where products are created en mass and discarded in abundance, overwhelming recycling needs and the environment. Poor nations might use biomass (carbon-rich trees) as fuel for nanofactories, leading to increased deforestation. Experimentation in nano-augmentation of plants and animals (for example, to make them larger, smaller, faster, stronger, etcetera) could easily lead to runaway consequences in the wild (“green goo” vs “gray goo”) that could threaten existing plants and animals, affect the food chain, and pose unforeseen threats to human life. This is a prime concern. Ecophage …
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Nanotechnology for Students
A brief description what nano technology is and how it can help in everyday life.
Video Rating: 4 / 5
What you MUST know about the future
The video is about the exponential progression of information technology (exemplified by eg Moores Law), and how that in combination with more andvanced artificial intelligence (AI) and the reverse-engineering of the human brain in the future could lead to a technological singularity, as theorized by people such as Ray Kurzweil. It discusses the development of technology as an evolutionary process, and shows by examples that evolution is an exponential process. The video also mentions how more advanced technology in the future could enable us to cure aging, and how this can give us eternal life (or at least enable us to live indefinitely), as proposed by people such as Abrey de Grey. The video also mentions the potential of molecular nanotechnology, and technologies such as virtual reality. It argues that investing in science and innovation is the best way of solving our challenges of global warming, resource scarcity, global poverty, and lack of space and resources due to population growth. CHARITIES THAT I RECOMMEND 1. The Open Cog Foundation: opencog.org 2. Institute for Molecular Manufacturing: www.imm.org 3. The X-prize foundation. Watch video here: www.youtube.com Donate here: www.xprize.org 4. The Foresight Institute: www.foresight.org If you know of good charities promoting research and innovation that will bring about long-term technological progress, then leave a comment, and I´ll consider including them. A FEW FAQ 1. Won´t the robots turn against us like they …
Video Rating: 5 / 5
Nottingham Nanotechnology Debate (1 of 7)
On August 24 2005, the School of Physics & Astronomy at the University of Nottingham hosted a debate entitled “Nanotechnology: Radical new Science or Plus Ça Change?” This brought together leading British scientists and key proponents of the molecular manufacturing concept (originally put forward by K. Eric Drexler in 1981) to debate the science, feasibility, and potential of nanomachines. A variety of thought-provoking technical and societal issues were raised during the well-attended two hour session (which featured as a component of the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council-funded 2005 UK Summer School in Surface Science).
Video Rating: 5 / 5
Cognitive Computing: Neuroscience, Supercomputing, Nanotechnology (part 2 of 4)
The ultimate goal of the DARPA SyNAPSE project is to build brain-like cognitive computing chips that scale to human cortex by moving beyond the von Neumann architecture and become the brains behind IBM’s Smarter Planet vision. The project leverages nanotechnology, supercomputing, and neuroscience and is a collaboration of four universities (Cornell, Columbia, Wisconsin-Madison, and UC Merced) and five IBM sites (Almaden, Yorktown, EFK, BTV, and IRL). Dr. Dharmendra S. Modha is founding manager of the Cognitive Computing group at IBM’s Almaden Research Center. Currently, he is the Principal Investigator for DARPA SyNAPSE team of IBM Research – Almaden, IBM Research – Watson, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Cornell University, Columbia University, and University of California at Merced.
Video Rating: 5 / 5
