NanoBioEthics

Reason ^ | October 26, 2005 | Ronald Bailey

[BipolarBob]

I saw that guy on T2. Even when he was burned by fire he kept going. Yeah! Give me some of that to drink. I wanna be like him.

[ClearCase_guy]

each one of us has the right to change our own human nature.

The thing you can change is not the thing known as Human Nature. Human Nature is the thing that is unchangeable.

Also: watch out! The Singularity approaches.

[gaijin]

The lefties flipped over biotech, and they're going to flip BIG TIME over nanotech.

It presents a great opportunity to beat themselves on the chest about how CAUTIOUS they are, about how they're LOOKING OUT FOR US by holding all this R + D up.

Yes, they're going to save us from GREY GOO...!

And unable to contribute in a substantial way, they'll ask to be paid from the suffering and waiting that they put us to.

[BipolarBob]

watch out! The Singularity approaches.

Who dat? I don't know no Singularity, but when I get some nano juice in me I'm ganna be all outta bubblegum.

[WriteOn]

Kool-aid y'all?

[neverdem]

Engineers Report Breakthrough in Laser Beam Technology

What makes Kevlar® so strong? And how can it be so light at the same time?

Mother's milk helps to block HIV

Lewis X component in human milk binds DC-SIGN and inhibits HIV-1 transfer to CD4 T lymphocytes. (As opposed to a follower of Calypso Louie)

FReepmail me if you want on or off my health and science ping list. Anyone can post any unrelated link as they see fit.

[AntiGuv]

FutureTechPing!

An emergent technologies list covering biomedical research, fusion power, nanotech, AI robotics, and other related fields. FReepmail to join or drop.

[little jeremiah]

later read/ping.

[King Prout]

Damn the Luddite fearmongers! Full speed ahead!

[processing please hold]

I don't like nanotechnology, too many frighting ways it can be used to the detriment of humans.

Here's a fairly good sight with so good links in it.

HERE

[processing please hold]

Sorry....sight=site

[taxed2death]

"...he believes that nanotech will erase the distinction between living and non-living matter."

Two words:

Pet rock.

[processing please hold]

Direct attempts to prevent a singularity are mistaken, even dangerous. History has shown time and again that well-meaning efforts to control the creation of powerful technologies serve only to drive their development underground into the hands of secretive government agencies, sophisticated political movements, and global-scale corporations, few of whom have demonstrated a consistent willingness to act in the best interests of the planet as a whole. These organizations -- whether the National Security Agency, Aum Shinri Kyo, or Monsanto -- act without concern for popular oversight, discussion, or guidance. When the process is secret and the goal is power, the public is the victim. The world is not a safer place with treaty-defying surreptitious bioweapons labs and hidden nuclear proliferation. Those who would save humanity by restricting transformative technologies to a power elite make a tragic mistake.

Imagine what it would mean should the islamofacist get their hands on perfected nano...

here

[neverdem]

Thanks for the links.

[Lloyd227]

I might be a Luddite for thinking this way..... but... I don't believe nanotech or nanobio whatever they want to call it.... can ever come close to matching what is already the present reality under "the carbon barrier"

This is a man attempting to convince himself that we're as smart as God. The technology is cool and I hope they do pursue it as far as they can.... but this writer is nothing more important than a delusional atheist

Will still be neat to find out what we CAN do with nanotech, just don't lose sight of how wonderful "the carbon barrier" really is.

Cheers,
Lloyd

[strategofr]

"Waiting until the ethicists catch up with scientific and technological progress is a recipe for technological stagnation. Slowing innovation is not cost free. It makes a difference to tens of millions of people whether a cure for cancer or heart disease is found in 2010 or 2020.

In general, human ethical advancements and understanding follow—and in fact have to follow—in the wake of scientific and technological progress. Why? Because humanity is just terrible at foresight."

This is not the problem. The fact is, we know that technological progress will not stop---because competition doesn't stop. Occasssionally, mankind can step back from the brink for awhile---witness 6 decades without anyone dropping a nuke on people---but that is a particularly obvious and horrible problem.

This nano stuff will creep forward into the world and no person or country can stop it. If the US stopped it in the US, we'd just fall behind everyone else, in defense, business, etc.

Frankly, I'm glad I'll be dead of old age before most of this stuff goes too far---or at least too old to give a hoot.

It all sounds like a nightmare.

But I will say this. The basics of life will change less than people imagine. There will still be some scarce resources---and people will still compete over them.

[processing please hold]

You're welcome.

[strategofr]

"Poly-paraphenylene terephthalamide molecules behave like uncooked spaghetti, whereas other, less rigid molecules behave more like cooked strands of spaghetti."

OK, we're stupid and need a simple explanantion. But that is retarded.

[edsheppa]

Human nature belongs to each individual human being, and each one of us has the right to change our own human nature.

So it'd be OK for them to choose to become say psychopaths or homocidal maniacs?