Nanobots, Real or Imagined

December 15, 2003 | Source: KurzweilAI

Foresight Chairman Dr. K. Eric Drexler submitted a letter to the New York Times editor protesting their framing of the Drexler-Smalley debate.

“The Times elected to edit the letter (and apparently omit Mike Treder’s separate letter), discarding a key quote from the article, and modifying the last sentence,” says Drexler.

The letter, to be published tomorrow (Dec. 16, 2003) in The New York Times, reads (omitted text shown in italics):

Nanobots, Real or Imagined

To the Editor:

Re “Yes, They Can! No, They Can’t: Charges Fly in Nanobot Debate” (Dec. 9): The article says the nanotechnology debate is about “whether it is possible to build a nanobot.” This ignores the central issue — the feasibility of molecular manufacturing — in which nanobots play no role. Indeed, the article quotes my statement that nanofactories will use “no swarms of roaming, replicating nanobots.”

The article neglects critical policy and security issues. Molecular machinery will increase manufacturing productivity a millionfold, yet our national nanotechnology effort now excludes work toward this goal. In a competitive world, continuing this policy would amount to unilateral disarmament.

Focusing on imaginary nanobots may appeal to a fraction of your readers, but it leaves the serious science and policy issues unexamined.

DR. K. ERIC DREXLER
Los Altos, Calif.