Medical nanobots: Nanotechnology desired but not here yet

Marvin Hofberg of the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine sends info on nanotechnology for medicine and longevity:

Among the scientific and medical phenomena unveiled at the Eighth Congress that are projected to revolutionize the delivery of healthcare and, as a result, improve the quality and extend the quantity of the human lifespan:

• Nanobots, fleets of microscopic robots that are programmed to identify disease sites and administer treatment targeted to the affected cells. Time until full clinical application: 3 years.

…Remarks Dr. Klatz, “What was speculative technology just five years ago is now medical reality, and realization of the full implications of many advancements is now a mere 1-2 years away. This is a strikingly profound alteration of the course of humankind’s arrival at practical immortality. Each of us alive today now has a real chance to live, and live well, at age 150.”

We at Foresight are in favor of both near-term nanomedicine and long-term medical nanorobotics, for everything from fighting cancer to promoting longevity. But the problem with the above is that it’s from a 2000 conference. Where is the “full clinical application” of “nanobots”, even broadly defined? Let’s try to temper our optimism with realism as well. —Christine