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UK Establishes Fragmented Nanopolicy
hlovy writes "The BBC has a piece on British Science Minister Lord Sainsbury's long-sought reaction to a yearlong Royal Society study on the environmental and societal implications of nanotechnology. I've written ad nauseam on the Royal Society report here, here and even for the Wall Street Journal here."
Rather than actually doing anything with Nanotechnology, the UK should instead follow the lead of many Wall St companies and just put the prefix "Nano" in their name. Nano-Kingdom sounds pretty good to me.
Once you do this, you can expect all kinds of amazing profits!
I'm a big tall mofo.
Just like Jake 2.0, instead of geeks ruling the world... it would be super geeks ruling the world. Until we get canceled.
Evolution or ID?
...from the article:
"The UK government has responded to one major report into nanotechnologies by ordering another review."
"The Royal Society told the BBC News website it was encouraged by the government's commitment to research, but was disappointed that no extra funding was proposed for it."
The UK wants to be a world leader in nanotechnology, but they are bogging down the reports with reports on reports, and not providing funding. Looks like things will have to change if they want to reach their world-leadership goal!
libertarianswag.com
It's unfortunate that the reports are so mass-ignored. The summary of conclusions of the report on the report tends to be what gets out to the public (and presumably not far off what most of Parliament think the topic is about), by which time it's so much mush.
Unless, of course, it's a problematic/slightly dangerous scenario, in which case the papers take it, and distort ("DOOM!") a different summary of conclusion of report, and shout it about for about a day until we get back to who's done what else scandalous.
Browsing with +2 to insightful posts and a higher threshold makes the average post seen seem a lot more ingenious
Hey - what's up?! You're making us sound like incompetent bumbling fools! :) We invented the backtick (`), don't you know?
Get your own free personal location tracker
So you could almost say that their nanopolicy is in lots of tiny parts, scattered about, each individually working towards a common goal?
Sounds appropriate.
.. but unfortunately no one could read it cause it was written on a pinhead.
Prince Charles spent hours having the charter written into his scalp and was said to be "over the moon".
"So there he is, risen from the dead. Like that fella, E. T." - Father Ted Crilly
He made a mint putting "Nano" into his comedy routine. Shazbot!
Don't blame Durga. I voted for Centauri.
I would prefer they established some much needed policy on the touchy world of biometrics first. At the moment the government (like allot of governments) has this crazy idea that iris and finger print scanning are totally ok and theres absolutely no issue both security and human rights wise. Also with the RFID. bloody hell, nano technology might be an important subject for humanity, but biometrics and stupid wireless policy is here right now and needs attention today. The problem is of course that we didnt tackle this subject 20 years ago so now its too late.
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At first I thought that it was the British government comming up with an insignificantly small policy ... oh wait!
watashi wa bengoshi dewa arimasen!
I am a researcher who is currently working on "nanotechnology"; 2-dimensional films that are a single molecule thick, to be precise. I'm puzzled by exactly what sorts of unique risks people think might be associated with nanotechnology. The BBC article summed it up very well:
"Nanotech manipulates molecules and even atoms to make novel materials. This precision engineering exploits unusual electrical, optical and other properties."
That's it. No one is trying to make swarms of tiny robots that devour everything in their path. Even if someone wanted to do that, no one would have even the faintest idea of how to go about doing it. The mere fact that nanotechnology involves very small particles doesn't mean that it poses some sort of unique health risk. The world is already teaming with nanoparticles of all sorts. Specks of dust, tiny flakes of rock or mineral material, all sorts of plant spores, bits of soot from car emissions...we've always been surrounded by nanomaterials.
As people increase our autonomy and power to affect one another, and become less governable, we're seeing more threats that law can control only by 100% effectiveness. And with the minimal effectiveness of international law, combined with the ease of travel of international capital and information, research can't be effectively banned. The only effective global legislation of science appeals rather to positive reinforcement than to negative enforcement, prohibition.
Nanotech, cloning and stemcells (nanobiotech), nukes - the cats are out of the bag, and people will find funding and labspace to pursue these techs. Especially if the supply/demand ratio is enhanced for the vendors by prohibition. But if governments instead funnel money and organization to the beneficial, safer applications of these sciences, the resulting brain drain will keep the industries much safer. Why risk working in the profitless, destructive, risky world of "grey goo" research, when there's fun and profit in solarcell paint - and everyone else is doing it? Just as fruitless as telling someone "don't think of a banana", laws can't stop people from researching some of this dangerous tech. But if we tell everyone to "think of an orange", we'll be able to influence development into much more productive channels. Without engaging in the counterproductive and tyrannical futility of science prohibition.
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make install -not war
I for one welcome our tiny nanolords.
and then I hit myself for it, sorry.
Dave
Sigh. The only sad lonely person who would mark that as a troll post is the kind of person with no understanding about the current UK government or a New Labour toady.
You know Mr Toady, the New Labour thing it's kind of like...um..corrupt. I think that's the word. You won't get a slice of the pie you know.
Read Animal farm to understand.
Soon, toner wars will cloud skies over all of us... how cool.
-ubuntu others as you would have others ubuntu you.
The use of nano technology is one of the doom scenarios of Exit Mundi, a website dedicated how mankind can finish...
With the point of nanotechnology being to make things smaller, a nanokingdom would, as stated, trump Micronesia.
Browsing with +2 to insightful posts and a higher threshold makes the average post seen seem a lot more ingenious