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March of the nano-bots   by Chris Degenhardt

MIT physicist Eric Drexler, in his ‘Engines of Destruction’ in 1986, coined the phrase ‘Gray goo’, his vision of an out-of-control nano bots. Drexler, an authority on nanotechnology (extreme miniaturization of technology), wrote of his concerns about a destructive artificial intelligence flooding the world and destroying everything on Earth, referring to this monster as Gray goo. He warned that, as the result of a mix of nano and biotechnology, rogue nano bots could easily get out of control and destroy the Earth biosphere by choking it with inedible vegetation that out competes real plants.

These are dire warnings indeed but are they justified? Drexler’s scary warning can be considered perfectly valid because artificially intelligent nano-bots are programmed with the second law directive that all life must be destroyed. Much more dangerous than ‘pepper pot’ Daleks from Dr Who, these miniature monsters don’t have to verbalize their in built ‘exterminate’ mantra, as they go about the destructive business for which they were designed.

Nano-scientist Alan Goldstein, in his ‘I Nano bot’ recently stated that ‘Scientists are on the verge of breaking the ‘carbon barrier’ (creating artificial life and changing forever what it means to be human. And we are not ready). Goldstein maintains that scientists who are well known for predicting the evolution of humanity and its technology have no idea what artificial evolution actually portends. He states that they approach the problem creating molecular machines from backgrounds in artificial intelligence, systems analysis, mathematics and even astronomy or aerospace engineering. But not from disciplines within the faculty of arts and the humanities.

Goldstein admits that the likes of Ray Kurzwell, Bill Joy and Eric Drexler have raised alarms but he states that they are ‘too dazzled’ by the complexity and power of human cyber systems devices and networks to see what could be coming. They think the power of their nano-tools lies in the ever increasing complexity, like a Walt Disney ‘Sorcerer’s Apprentice’ scenario, but one in which increasingly complicated buckets make the clean-up operation even more impossible.

Alan Goldstein claims people like Arthur Kaplan, who treat the human DNA as though it were some Holy Grail and go on about the sacredness of human life cannot possibly get the point. Those who think technology will surpass biology have completely missed the cosmic point. They are correct in their assumption that we must, if we are to go down the nanotechnology road, get rid of all artificial boundaries by, conceptualizing outside the cybernetics and DNA box. In short we have to stop thinking like humans . Nano bots, like minuscule ‘Doctor Spocks’ (the space traveller, not the educator) will carry out their tasks based on pure logic, bereft of any feelings. And it is perfectly logical and necessary, when governed by an incomplete understanding of the second law of thermodynamics, to follow a directive of complete and absolute destruction of every living thing on earth.

Drexler pointed out that Tough impervious nano-bacteria could out compete the real thing, as they spread, pollen-like, replicating rapidly, and reduce the biosphere to dust in just a few days. These lethal replicators could be too tough and too small to be stopped. What hope would out-of-control technologies have in reigning these tiny rogues in when we still have so much trouble controlling viruses and fruit flies.

Astronomer Royal, Martin Rees echoes these dire warnings. In his book ‘Our Final Hour’ he predicts that humanity has a 50/50 chance of surviving into the next century. The reasons he cites that threaten our demise include: runaway effects of new technology, uncontrolled scientific research, terrorist or fundamentalist violence and destruction of the biosphere. Professor Robert Pope of the Science-Art Centre of Australia pushed this risk factor up to one hundred percent fatality, if we do not get things right. He claims that science’s worship of the unbalanced second law physics ensures that the entropic process will bring about chaos, breakdown, and total destruction within human society.

Having painted this extremely dismal picture we need to see if there is any light at the end of the nano-tunnel. Is it possible to make this uncharted nanotechnology safe and use it for the betterment of all humankind?

In order to answer this let us define nanotechnology. Also referred to as molecular manufacturing, it manipulates materials at the atomic level in order to build the smallest possible electromechanical devices. Working at this scale, science and technology can bring about huge benefits to our human society. So, having waded through the warnings let us wallow in the wonderment, as we explore how nanotechnology can be either our destroyer or saviour. Or as Buckminsterfuller so aptly put it, Utopia or Oblivion.

In medical science, researchers are developing customised nano particles the size of molecules that can deliver drugs directly to diseased cells in the body. This should greatly reduce damage to healthy cells caused by such treatments as chemotherapy. In electronics nanotechnology holds some answers for how we might increase the capabilities of electronic devices while we reduce their weight and power consumption. Nano tubes are being used, amongst other applications, to increase battery power and make more efficient solar collectors. Genetically modified foods are somewhat controversial but in nano science food is grown to how it is packaged. Companies are developing nano-materials that will make a difference not only in the taste of food, but also in food safety, and the health benefits that food delivers.

These and many more astounding breakthroughs to help make life, safer, healthier and easier, in which nanotechnology can be seen to be our Saviour but only if this fledgling technology is based soundly in ethics. This cannot happen while the technology is mainly bankrolled by the military industrial complex, as is currently the case. So, perhaps nano-science research needs to slow a little. Perhaps the nano-scientists and humanities professors should collaborate to help achieve the best possible outcome for the whole of humanity. Even if it slows down some of the research, applying ethics every step of the way will help us heed Drexler’s, Goldstein’s,Rees and Pope’s timely warnings.

About the Author

Chris Degenhardt Science-Art artist/author. Researcher and newsletter designer/editor for SARCA (Science-Art Research Centre of Australia) 2009 recipient of the George Cockburn award for upgrading Kantian aesthetics art appreciation theory to Kantian ethics for universal peace and harmony. Contributing author to ABC of Harmony project.
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