New nanoweapons discussed in Nanotech Law & Business Journal
Charles Choi of UPI’s Nano World presents two views of the development of new nanotech weapons: (1) “Pardo-Guerra and colleague Francisco Aguayo, of the College of Mexico, outlined in Nanotechnology Law & Business Journal three ways in which nanotechnology could enable new weapons” and (2) Microbiologist Mark Wheelis, of the University of California at Davis: “This is somewhat a threat in the future, but we ignore emerging future threats at our very grave peril.” A nano arms race is #2 on the list of U.S. public concerns about nanotech; maybe it should be #1 (instead of surveillance).–CP
May 23rd, 2005 at 8:12 PM
This is precisely what I’ve been telling everyone for years now…the ONLY reason the US has any interest in nanotech in the first place is so that it can create weapons that not only have the potential to destroy the entire planet…but, very possibly, an entire galaxy, as well. Of course, the entire idea is not to actually use the weapons in question, but to simply hide them away and instill even more fear into the people who would oppose the fascist regime that is the USA.
We will see all this and more, as we all get closer to 2012.
May 24th, 2005 at 10:58 AM
I see your point. You’re right. EVERYBODY! We should stop all research and development on all revolutionary sciences that might have the ability to save soldier’s lives so that people can attack our troops. It’s not fair that someone won’t be able to kill them. Because they’re fascists.
Please leave politics and personal beliefs out of science. This technology, funded by the governments of many nations, can have possibilities that we cannot even comprehend. Is Japan fascist? How about the EU? Are we? They are leading the development of technology that WILL benefit the entire world and I’m sure will freely utilise this technology, once we have it, for the benfit of all mankind.
May 24th, 2005 at 11:30 AM
Uh, I think you got the wrong idea. I’m an EXTREME advocate for nanotechnology and genetic engineering, because without these technologies, the ‘current’ human race is doomed to extinction.
However, I do NOT support these technologies in regard to next-gen weapons and warfare – and, quite frankly, anyone who does support these ideas need to be shot on sight. Nanotechnology is all about creating a better world for every living creature on this planet; not creating an even worse hellhole that uses the premise of fear and death to get things accomplished.
As far as fascism is concerned, yes, the US government is fascist. Are you blind? The invasion of Afgahanistan, Iraq, Bolivia…and even the soon to be war with Iran…are these not examples of fascism? These wars were illegal and unfounded…is this not an example of fascism? Many of our rights and liberties are being stripped away all for the sake of ‘homeland security’…and, by 2008, if you do not have a Driver’s License or a Passport embedded with the new REAL ID RFID tags, you will not be able to travel anywhere…and by 2010, if you do not have the new ‘VERICHIP’ implanted into your arm, you will not be allowed to buy or sell ANYTHING — is this not a sign of extreme fascism? Wake the hell up!
May 24th, 2005 at 1:59 PM
You are a little misguided i think. Howver you are right about one thing. The only reason the US MILITARY would be intersted in nanotechnology is for weapons or making the human weapon better or more repairable. That is thier whole purpose and function, if they did other things like run a social wellfare program that would be misapropreation of funds. Other parts of the government are responsible for that. Also if you are an EXTREME advocate of nanotechnology you automatcally support materials and structures that are orders of magnitude greater in strenght and function. People will always apply these advances to weapons. This is just sad, but true. In fact most advances in technology come directly from the military, for instances the internet. tell me what you think
May 24th, 2005 at 2:42 PM
While it is true that most of the technology we see today originally came from the military (especially the Cold War), there is no excuse to create better weapons designed to kill other human beings. If there were an alien threat, or a galactic disaster waiting to happen that required these advanced weapons, then it would be a completely different story – but fighting amongst ourselves is both barbaric and ridiculous. How does anyone expect us to get into space and solve the secrets of our universe if we’re bickering and fighting with each other? No, nanotech weaponry should be strictly taboo, as they would be the final piece that would enable the human race to be exterminated with only ONE nano-virus.
The things I support with this advanced technology is, of course, the Assembler, which will allow us to create unlimited amounts of extremely efficient material – which, in turn, will destroy all forms of money, government, and religion; Genetic Engineering, which will allow us to create the first transhumans, who are completely free of disease and genetic damage, and will also possess small amounts of animal DNA, thus giving them ‘special’ abilities that enhance all 5 of the natural senses; and Artificial Intelligence, which will, ultimately, give birth to the Singularity. These are the technologies that should be a priority for mankind, not nanotech weaponry.
If mankind continues its obsession of finding better, more efficient means of killing itself…then it deserves to become extinct.
May 24th, 2005 at 8:58 PM
[...] at Howard Lovy’s on the nanoweapons-of-mass-destruction concept, mentioned here previously. Most notable to me is that both Howard and Charles Choi imply that only near-term possibili [...]
May 25th, 2005 at 3:12 AM
If you think that is bad. Then you have another thing coming. sure we all want to solve world hunger and long distance travel. However there is a down side o it all. With A.I. if it gets too smart we’re screwed. Nano-technology? well there is aalways going to be some idiot or revolutionary group willing to wipe out either a city or a country or even the world to make a point. But what really takes the cake is the fact we’re running out of rescources to build these things. basically we are running out of oil, coal and metals. wouldn’t these be the things which affect the nanites (nano technology). If we run out of raw material we wouldn’t be able to build them. I think it would be smarter to instead of focussing on the threat of weapons focus on the misguided nations wealth and rescorces.
For example, develop a strain of nanites that can convert the pollution in the air into a type of mineral then move it to a specific spot on the planet were we can get it. Or have nanites convert things that are of the least useful nature into much more useful things. ie. convert mountains into housing and such. I could go on all day about the nanites uses the only problem is that when we finally find a way to make the bloody things we’ll have run out of materials to build them from. unless we’ve already made nanites to convert other materials into useable components.
May 25th, 2005 at 4:49 AM
I agree wih you kadamose. Nanotechnology weapons should be taboo. Sadly they will always be used as weapons if not by a big government then by a terrorist. Kinda like when Nobel invented dynamite for mining. The military will never say hey lets not use that it is to dangerous. Kelso as far as running out of materials you are way off. My understanding is that a large precent of nano will be built from diamond base structers ie carbon. You often hear oh no CO2 levels are rising. Well we can use the CO2 in the air and help the environment. Not to mention dirt could be a substrate of choice. I dont think raw material will ever be a problem. Plus its NANO extremly small the amounts worked with in the reasearch phase are by defenition small.
May 25th, 2005 at 10:56 PM
I’m a little disappointed by the level of discourse. I am sure each of you has an area of expertise that makes you feel confident to respond on some aspect of the problem, but each of you also probably has a weakness in other areas that reduces the impact of your argument. I could make an argument in support of each of you and I could equally make an argument to make some part of each of your arguments appear naive. How might you work together to find some creative solutions to the problems you foresee?
Nanotech is inevitable. The U.S. military, just like anyone else, has to be aware of that and is obliged to think ahead to the day when it must fight nanotech weapons, whether it develops them or someone else does. The science will go on, just as one very important application of nanotech, as an enabling aspect of stem cell technology, hit home in the past week. If the Americans don’t do it, someone else will. The nature of scientific discovery is that no one really knows what will turn up. I would prefer we find a way to improve energy efficiency, so that one of the large, rapidly developing economic entities and America don’t end up fighting a nuclear war over energy resources. I would prefer we find a solution to the basic lack of water resources in the poorest, most populated and most politically-stressed areas of the world than seeing whose corporations can buy up those resources the fastest. Look at the history of the world. Most of the great wars we have fought made no sense, in hindsight. You all point logically to illogical situations. Consider how nanotech might head off the illogical, rather than fighting yourselves over the details.
Brock Hinzmann
Technology Navigator
May 26th, 2005 at 2:34 AM
I would prefer we find a way to improve energy efficiency
Zero Point Energy is the solution to this problem; not only is it non-toxic and unlimited in supply, “ZPE in space due to quantum fluctuations is more than 10E24 (Ten raised to the power 24) joules per cubic meter and even as much as 10E58 (Ten raised to the power 58) joules per cubic meter.” That is approximately 100 times more powerful than the nuclear reactions within our own sun.
Nanotechnology and ZPE will go hand in hand…in fact, the Assembler will NOT be possible without Zero Point Energy due to the power requirements involved.
What’s sad about ZPE is that it has already been tapped into successfully
– so why isn’t it being shared? Simple. Unlimited Energy = Free Energy; in other words, energy that can’t, and won’t, have a price tag on it. The energy industry would, literally, be destroyed overnight…something capitalists and venture capitalists would have a heart attack over.
May 26th, 2005 at 6:56 AM
What’s sad about ZPE is that it has already been tapped into successfully
Care to present exact reference to the “ZPE been tapped into”? I’ve not found a quote on the page.
May 26th, 2005 at 11:03 AM
Sure.
Zero Point Energy, Casimir force and Space propulsion and how this research relates to secret United States Government projects operating under “Black Budget” officially known as USAP – Unacknowledged Special Access Projects. Some jaws fell in disbelief when Dr. Valone asserted and exclaimed that ZPE in space due to quantum fluctuations is more than 10E24 (Ten raised to the power 24) joules per cubic meter and even as much as 10E58 (Ten raised to the power 58) joules per cubic meter.
I’ve also got a video demonstration of ZPE being tapped into if you’re interested. If you are interested, let me know and I will upload it to a website so you can download it.
May 27th, 2005 at 6:32 PM
I just found out something else
Have any of you ever played the computer game dues Es 2?
If so then you’ve seen the opening of it. A man wearing a black cloke walks into the middle of newyork and pushes a single button on a container in his hand. In mear minutes nearly all of New York is turned into dust or in this case more Nanobots (nano sized bots)
The really sad thing about this is that this is where we are heading with weaponary. If we don’t kill each other with nuclear weaponry then we’ll kill ourselves with the things we designto help us.
Now don’t get me wrong I think there is thousands of possibilities which we can use Nano tecchnology to help better man kind but there is also the fact that there will always be a nutter who will attempt to prove a point by wiping out a significant part of the world.
Even though nanotechnology is meant to be used to help us. Take another reference from Television of video games. For example in the popular TV show StarGate SG1 a race created a toy that if broken could fix itself from other peices of metal around it. The race only realized it’s mistake after the damn things broke out of their programming and destroyed their world and achieved space flight. In case your wondering what menace I’m talking about their called the ‘Replicators’ their only goal in life is to keep replicating until they have suffiecient numbers.
Now yet again don’t think I’m some teenager who has decided to show his knowledge from Television shows and games. I am just pointing out that already there is the Idea’s that Nanobots can destroy either the world or the universe if the break out of their programming or even worse are programmed to do that.
Also I would like a link to that video on ZPE please
May 28th, 2005 at 2:02 PM
Have any of you ever played the computer game dues Es 2?
Yes, I’ve played Deus Ex 2. There’s also something very interesting in the game, as well…in the Emerald Apartments near the beginning of the game, in Professor Nazif’s room, there is a datacube that says something along these lines, “1988 – The first Zero Point Energy converters were built and were a complete success.” It also says some other things about it, but it’s been almost 2 years since I’ve played the game, so I don’t remember too much.
Also, here is the Zero Point Energy demonstration video
May 28th, 2005 at 7:33 PM
i remember when i was a kid and the talking heads said stuff like”in the future,labour saving devices will do all the work”well guess what?we are the labour saving devices.welcome to feudalism.it`s quite new.only 10,000 years old.the feudal lords own nanotechnology and will build better labour saving devices that dont consume food,need sleep or entertainment.they`ll just work and repair themselves and recharge……..and hunt.
business and science have no concience,remember the atomic bomb?scientists weren`t sure if it would ignite the atmosphere or not but they were pissing themselves to prove the math so they lit the fuse.i realise that wasn`t ALL scientists but you get the picture.
June 1st, 2005 at 8:33 AM
Kadamose: So, what about this demonstration video? I saw nothing informative. Is there a peer reviewed publication regarding the effect?
June 1st, 2005 at 12:12 PM
the huchinson effect is a brilliant display of some metascientific stuff that peer review will chew up in an inquisition spasm.science on one hand and faith on the other.i`m surprised we have moved out of the caves.
June 2nd, 2005 at 3:44 PM
I’m currently doing an assignment on nanotech so I am finding this quite useful. The only problem I’m haveing currently is that I have to describe what happens to the nanobots or nantechnology when it gets down to the bloodcell level. ie. would the materials inside them be affected by the atoms around them or such? I would appreciate any help offered. Also the video is ok however I still think that the government should have given this technology when it first came out. not keeping it quite.
June 6th, 2005 at 12:34 PM
Back to ZPE for a moment, I haven’t yet been able to determine to my satisfaction whether this is considered real or not. Apparently, it should exist. If quantum mechanics is real, then, theoretically, zpe should be there. The Casimir force has been verified, but it is not clear such an energy source can be applied to nanotechnology. It is theorized it might be useful in the vacuum of space, but that all the forces cancel out on earth. Do you know of anyone actually working on it for anything other than space applications? BTW, in the course of my investigation, I was told to watch for recent developments in other quantum energy effects (previously refered to as cold fusion). Solving the global energy problem might lessen the possibility that the military guys you are concerned about will have a need to deploy the weapons that scare you.
June 9th, 2005 at 6:06 PM
Sorry to butt in……..kadamose……but you are a David Icke fan? No? As in “The World Is Ruled By Reptillian Monsters” David Icke?
To all of you who might think you are having a serious debate with Kadamose, I suggest you check out http://www.DavidIcke.com and then laugh with me……