[extropy-chat] Social Implications of Nanotech

[Robin Hanson]

On 11/10/2003 Max More wrote:
>The following article on "direct manufacturing", though not about nano, 
>has some relevant thoughts that you might find worth scanning quickly:
>Instant Manufacturing, Ivan Imato, Technology Review, November 2003
>http://www.technologyreview.com/articles/amato1103.asp
>My review (and links to related material such as "Fax It Up, Scotty"):
>http://www.manyworlds.com/exploreCO.asp?coid=CO1140318504119
>I'd also highly recommend the new book "Experimentation Matters" since 
>PGMDs -- or steps along the way to them -- would boost rapid prototyping 
>and other approaches analyzed extensively in Stefan Thomke's book. My 
>review of the book is here:
>http://www.manyworlds.com/exploreCO.asp?coid=CO1130316143063

These are good reference points.  Direct manufacturing (perhaps 
personalized) and rapid prototyping obviously have some social 
implications, but they are obviously relatively minor compared to the 
apparent implications of easily-programmable fast self-reproducing 
PGMDs.  So we need to carefully distinguish these different visions, so we 
can distinguish their social implications and talk about which ones are how 
likely how soon.



Robin Hanson  rhanson at gmu.edu  http://hanson.gmu.edu
Assistant Professor of Economics, George Mason University
MSN 1D3, Carow Hall, Fairfax VA 22030-4444
703-993-2326  FAX: 703-993-2323