Boeing VP Dreams of Nanotechnology
from the Poetry-in-action dept.
Senior Associate Paul Melnyk calls our attention to a forward-looking address ("Dream to Make Something Happen") delivered by David O. Swain, Senior VP of Engineering & Technology for The Boeing Company, and also president of Phantom Works, the research and development organization of the company. The talk was delivered last October at the ASM International Materials Solutions Conference.
"Nanoscale science and engineering most likely will produce the strategic technology breakthroughs of tomorrow," Swain said. "Our ability to work at the molecular level, atom by atom, to create something new, something we could manufacture from the 'bottom up,' opens up huge vistas . . . There are huge possibilities." Swain concluded his address with a "call for action." He said: "I believe in what poet Carl Sandburg wrote: 'Nothing happens unless you first dream.' We need to dream again. Dream about new formulas, new metals, new materials. Dream about nanoscience, nanoengineering, nanotechnology. Dream about the possibilities, the opportunities, and then make our dreams come true. Then, and only then, can we unlock exciting frontiers with our discoveries."
ASM is a society for professionals concerned with industry, technology and applications of metals and materials, and has over 40,000 members who are engineers, managers, scientists, researchers, teachers, students, marketers, equipment manufacturers and suppliers. The Institute for Molecular Manufacturing co-sponsored a special session dedicated to molecular nanotechnology at the same conference. Swain's address and the IMM-sponsored session helped provide an overview of molecular nanotechnology to a part of the materials community that has been largely insulated from progress in this area.
March 19th, 2001 at 2:24 PM
Who?
These people aren't even worthy of mention. While their concern may be valid their method is atrocious. They gather together to demean the great, visionary, people who are working in the labs around the world with a noble idea that what they're doing is going to help people all over the world, when in fact what they're doing is so counter-productive they should be shot. Ok, not shot, but at least, for the sake of the rest of us, ignored. There's no point in an Anti-Tech movement, it's contradictory, it's anathema, it's plain stupid. It's like putting on a blindfold to see better.
Let the real minds do the work of debating an evolving ethical premise over the danger new Tech, these Fat Earth look-alikes aren't helping, they're just there to hear themselves whine, and I'm sick of it.
March 19th, 2001 at 2:25 PM
Re:Who?
My previous comment was supposed to be attached to the other post, but you already know that.