Diamond Age Approaching?

CosmicDreams writes "The CRN (Center for Responsible Nanotechnology) reports that nanofactories (like the ones that were installed in every home in Neal Stephenson's Diamond Age) will arrive "almost certainly within 20 years". In short they claim that molecular nanotechnology manufacturing will solve many of the world's problems, catalyze a technologic revolution, and start the greatest arms race we've ever seen. They conclude the risks are so great that we should discuss how to deal with this technology so that we don't kill each other when it arrives."

Comments

Re:We need to pass laws and treaties NOW.

[Matrix272]

What, though, will happen when someone comes up with a way to attack cells based on the DNA within? Racial cleansing, removal of unworthies from the pool. It may not happen but it very well could if they don't come up with global policies and laws. (even then...)

I know I'm going to get flamed pretty bad for this suggestion, but maybe that's not such a bad thing. Seriously, if you could eliminate all the "undesirable" people from a generation, and practically guarantee that the traits that are undesirable would never again "plague" humanity, is that really such a bad concept?

In the first 50 years of these nanobots, we could effectively eliminate all disease, laziness, stupidity, arrogance, etc. Besides, say goodbye to the hereditary diseases, like glaucoma. No more bad eyesight (although now with LASIK, it's fairly easy to correct... I've done it) or bad hearing.

I'm just curious if anyone else wonders if the price would be too high, even if the benefits would come over the next millenium, leading to billions of lives saved from disease and stupidity. I'm not saying I'd approve of it... I'm just curious if anyone else had actually thought about it seriously, and objectively.