Eric Drexler: Physical Law and the Future of Nanotechnology

Dr. Eric Drexler speaks at the Inaugural Lecture of the Oxford Martin Programme on the Impacts of Future Technology. Introduced by Professor Nick Bostrom.

Exploring a Timeless Landscape: Physical Law and the Future of Nanotechnology

In the inaugural lecture of the Oxford Martin Programme on the Impacts of Future Technology, Eric Drexler explores the implications of physical law for the future potential of nanotechnology, then describes the prospects for productive technologies that can solve global problems on the scale of climate change.

Abstract:

A methodology grounded in physics and engineering can answer a limited yet illuminating range of questions about the potential of physical technology. This line of inquiry leads to a crucial question: What can physics tell us about the potential of advanced nanotechnologies? Well-established physical principles show that this potential embraces productive nanotechnologies that have the potential to transform the material basis of civilization. This prospect calls for re-evaluating both research opportunities and broader choices with consequences for the human future.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• Eric Drexler
• Nanotechnology
• Exploratory Engineering
• Nick Bostrom
• FHI
• Future of Humanity Institute
• Science
• Oxford Martin School

[TheCerametal]

@MrAdvancedAtheist Drexler is a genius. He has much to show for his years of work. Craig Venter and Drexler are on the same track: Molecular control of matter. Synthetic biology will enable dry nanotechnology because once you can build at the level of molecules you can bootstrap diamondoid assemblers. 

[TheCerametal]

@MrAdvancedAtheist For a good response read this:

The Kurzweil AI site has good responses to that as have people who have visited the site.

[quantumG]

Drexler has been giving the same lecture for 25 years. We're still waiting for molecular manufacturing.

[tacoguy1988]

@MrAdvancedAtheist

Space colonization is such a mainstream idea that Newt Gingrich is campaigning on having a moon base by 2020. Also flying cars do exist. Go to wikipedia and search flying car. My favorite is the Terrafugia Transition. It is a technology that is progressing very nicely. Fusion reactors do exist. For example look at the Joint European Torus. Fusion power is just not economically efficient yet. Yea, these things exist in the "real world".

[zoveia]

is immortality possible

[ThorBarstad]

Drexler is a hero!

[pasqualebrow1230]

Your video is a favorite on Samoa

[TheCerametal]

@MrAdvancedAtheist If someone in 1951 said to you "Someday we will have electronic personal computers that fit in the palm of your hand." and you said "You can point to books all you want. I want to see a working palm top computer or else I don't believe it." Do you admit you would be very foolish? Just because we do not yet have the working hardware does not make something fantasy. People attacked developers of all new technologies, from gas lights to airplanes.

[MrAdvancedAtheist]

@Shinjeez You still don't have a working "nanoassembler," "Mark II Ribosome" or whatever nonsense name Drexler has come up lately for his fantasies. Jeez, people, don't you have a feeling for how much can happen technologically in 30 years when you get the physics right, which clearly hasn't happened in "nanotechnology"? When you have physics working for you, the technology can practically invent itself, as we saw with the laser in the 1960's.

[TheCerametal]

@MrAdvancedAtheist Genome sequencing and genetic engineering and biotechnology all lead to the nanotechnologies Drexler speaks of. What is your problem? Why are you so viciously Anti Drexler?

[TheCerametal]

@MrAdvancedAtheist All of the work in synthetic biology leads to nanotechnology assembly. Once you can build at that level, you can go from biological to dry materials, which are more efficient. We can reprogram enzymes and custom make new enzymes to deposit carbon atoms to form diamondoid structures, and, to make ceramic and metal and hard plastic structures. Why are you attacking things that are proven by established science?

[MrAdvancedAtheist]

@TheCerametal You can point to websites all you want. I want to see a working "nanoassember" in our mysterious, far-future year 2012 that does something useful. Bueller? Bueller?

I thought so. By contrast, according to the 23andme people, I can find out through their service if I have alleles of genes which predispose me to, say, Alzheimer's. Patri Friedman writes that he got that bad news about his cognitive future from 23andme a few months back. Drexler's fantasies had nothing to do with it.