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  Grey Goo - NOT!

  In "Apocalypse How?" Lou Bendrick states "Nanotechnology, the manipulation of wee things like molecules and atoms, may have enormous, positive implications for the planet. But big-frontal-lobes like nanotechie Eric Drexler and Sun Microsystems cofounder Bill Joy have predicted that self-replicating nano-robots will eventually run amok, converting everything into `gray goo.'"

  My response is summed up best by the Center for Responsible Nanotechnology (crnano.org) in their "Gray Goo is a Small Issue" (I'll post a few sentences - you can read the rest at the link provided):

  Fear of runaway nanobots, or "gray goo", is more of a public issue than a scientific problem. ... although biosphere-eating goo is a gripping story, current molecular manufacturing proposals contain nothing even similar to gray goo. The idea that nanotechnology manufacturing systems could run amok is based on outdated information.

  Replicating assemblers will not be used for manufacturing (or "nanotechnology" or "molecular manufacturing" if you will).

  Development and use of molecular manufacturing will create nothing like gray goo, so it poses no risk of producing gray goo by accident at any point.

  Gray goo eventually may become a concern requiring special policy. However, goo would be extremely difficult to design and build, and its replication would be inefficient. Worse and more imminent dangers may come from non-replicating nano-weaponry. Since there are numerous greater risks from molecular manufacturing that may happen almost immediately after the technology is developed, gray goo should not be a primary concern. Focusing on gray goo allows more urgent technology and security issues to remain unexplored.

  Link: crnano.org/BD-Goo.htm
  On Don't let catastrophic visions get you down ... well, not all of them posted 3 years, 10 months ago 2 Responses