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Don't Stymie Nanotech
Anonymous Coward writes "A new paper released by the Pacific Research Institute says that nanotechnology holds benefits for society if not blocked by misguided regulation or outright bans. Already, some prominent individuals (like Bill Joy) have questioned the rationale of continuing nanotech research - PRI's paper explains that nanotech has more benefits than drawbacks, and that bans and heavy regulation are not in society's best interests"
that paper that was released to make sure it's not actually made up of nanobots that want to turn the Earth to goo?
We can't 'eat' air and dirt and use it (and it alone) to grow and reproduce. Nanites could, in theory, do just that, by using raw materials in the air and the earth to reproduce. It all depends on (A) how they are programmed, (B) how they mutate, and (C) how lucky (or unlucky) we are.- Well, as the other reply below so eloquently put it, humans are imperfect. To create a grey-goo doomsday nanodevice would require perfect engineering, ensuring the device withstands all climates, can consume any material, and can avoid all attempts by people to stop it from growing. While I agree we need to be cautious, raising this cautiousness to absurd heights is just as dangerous as being completely carefree.
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