If the government develops it, they will want to regulate it. If business develops it, they will want to patent, trademark or copyright it. Both of them are basically saying that if you want to play with their bat and ball, then you play the game their way. I don't see much difference in their approaches.

It would be nice if MNT was developed by an open source mothodology, but I'm not going to hold my breath. And even if it was, a lot of safeguards would still have to be written into the assembler operating code to stop future Unabombers doing something really messy. Perhaps the end result will end up looking fairly similar no matter who develops it. But I wouldn't count on it.

How about Billions? Then I think we've got something.

Hopefully by the time nanotechnology arrives, then "the government" may be back for the people – rather than seen as an external threat to the people.

Maybe.

Where did I leave my Utopia.

Chances are, there will be heavy regulation. If you were a major super power would you want your enemies to have the power to wipe you out? But again, it may push the world towards a unified Government. G-Man

Even if the pathetic United States invests into Nanotech, it's not going to matter; the outcome will still be the same. Nanotechnology is going to DESTROY the pathetic United States and every other country like it. Why? It's because of people like me, who pirate software/movies/music etc etc and demand that everything should be free. And everything WILL be free in a nanotech world – the ways of our pathetic ancestors will finally be disposed of once and for all. And with the death of those ideals that have never made sense since the beginning, so too, will the death of ALL government be imminent, since those inferior forms of control rely on money/economy/Supply & Demand.

I know many people are probably just glad to see some money being thrown at nanotech, but I'm getting worried. This money keeps coming from the government, and when the government invests money, they feel they have a right to regulate. What, a law that bans matter assemblers for the masses? So much for the nanotech revolution. Well, it probably won't be that bad, but I could see bans on assembling firearms, or movies and CDs, or even 'obscene' materials. Just something to think about when Uncle Sam steps into the fog.