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

[Jeff Davis]

--- "Robert J. Bradbury" <bradbury at aeiveos.com> wrote:

If we want to know why politics is so complex this is
sure a good example.

Robert

        ------------------------------

What's so complex?  Smalley is a meta-honcho--likely
on the short list for honcho--near the summit a
multi-billion dollar public research money pile. 
Quite a career accomplishment.  

The top down approach to nano reaches out from the
broad margins of current capabilities, can absorb
research billions easily, and can deliver
immediately-usable science and tech as it expands
those margins.

The bottom up approach can only deliver theoretical
analysis (though providing tangible improvements in
the requisite analytical tools), can't deliver new
tech at the same rate, or the same dollars per gizmo,
can't IMO absorb a comparable quantity of research
monies, and can't deliver 'product' in the short term.
 And Drextech's perception as 'out there' science,
whether warranted or no, doesn't help.

The politicos responsible for committing public funds
to scientific research, and the scientific luminaries
who advise them, deal in BIG budgets and need to
demonstrate BIG results.  Top down is their ticket. 
Drextech is not.

And from a purely political/competitive stand point,
in so far as Smalley sees himself on a course to be
for the NNI what Oppenheimer was for the Manhattan
Project, why he want to promote Drexler, the "Founder
of Nanotech"?  It could only make Smalley look
smaller.

But this is all obvious.  Isn't it?

Best, Jeff Davis

   "Everything's hard till you know how to do it."
                           Ray Charles

__________________________________
Do you Yahoo!?
New Yahoo! Photos - easier uploading and sharing.
http://photos.yahoo.com/