Nanotechnology

[Fire]

Nanotechnology the Threat

Is the planet going to end up covered by grey goo from self-replicating nanobots?

Will humans integrated with nanotechnology becoming "super" humans?

Am I watching too many sci-fi movies?

[CaramonLS]

You underestimate the power of the EMP!

[I-Hate-Hulse]

Naturally, they'll all be Microsoft based and be taken down by the infamous BSOD (Blue screen of Death). You'll have to apply the correct Service Pack patch to get the world domination features to work.

[Jiggy_12]

For those really interested in this topic, I recommend the book "Prey" by Michael Crichton. Its about 2 years old, really fascinating stuff.

[Lanny_MacDonald]

And one of Michael Crichton's worst efforts in quite some time. I'm not sure what he has on the go, whether ER has taken too much out of him, but his last two books (Timeline and Prey) have been his worst. He normally writes about stuff that is very very possible in today's world but seems to have totally lost touch with reality in his last two books.

On to nanotechnology, I think people lose sight of the fact that they are machines and do what they are instructed to do. We are no where near artificial intelligence and likely will never be able to get to the point in programming technology that will allow for the level n self awareness that allows machines to be a threat. To get to that level we will have take quantum leaps in programming and in processor development, essentially making atomic size components. To team these two technologies together is a massive challenge that will likely not happen in our lifetimes if it ever happens at all.

[Daradon]

Yeah, the info on the link oyu posted is from a self proclaimed 'radical organization'. An interesting read perhaps, but maybe not the best place for hard facts.

I wouldn't be worried about anything like that at this point in time. Both AI and miniturization have a long way to go before some of the scarios talked about would be viable.

But ethics in science should be something that is looked at more closely as we take our baby steps towards godhood. Gene manipulation, creation and engineering of life, and thinking machines are not THAT far off and we seem to have matured faster intellectually (and therefore technologically) than we have wisdom-wise. There needs to be more debates in ethics in science by groups from all over the world and spectrum. I think the UN (or other world organizations) should have a division for just this sort of thing.