[extropy-chat] Smalley, Drexler and the monster in Lake Michigan

[Mike Lorrey]

--- Hal Finney <hal at finney.org> wrote:
> Hal Finney wrote:
> 
> : It's disappointing that the recent nanotech bill
> : has explicitly removed funding for Drexlerian nanotech.
> 
> Robert Bradbury replied:
> 
> > But it didn't Hal!  The study people are all talking about
> > in the oringally proposed Senate bill was explitly for
> > "self-assembly"  (I checked that section of the 4 bills
> > in the congressional records yesterday).
> 
> I am going by
> http://nanobot.blogspot.com/2003_11_23_nanobot_archive.html
> #106969756709919883,
> which indicates that the original House version of the bill funded
> research to study "molecular manufacturing", while that phrase got
> changed in the Senate to "molecular self-assembly", and that's what's
> in the final bill.  The former term would cover Drexler-style
> nanotech, while the latter apparently does not.  And according to
> the article this was an explicit and politically motivated
> decision to remove funding from the field.

Not surprised. But what about molecular self-assembly leaves out
Drexler style nanotech? I'd think that would be MORE accurate than just
molecular manufacturing, which IMHO seems to just be about making small
stuff, not stuff that can remake itself...

=====
Mike Lorrey
"Live Free or Die, Death is not the Worst of Evils."
                                       - Gen. John Stark
"Fascists are objectively pro-pacifist..."
                                       - Mike Lorrey
Do not label me, I am an ism of one...
Sado-Mikeyism: http://mikeysoft.zblogger.com

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