Nanotechnology closer that we think!!! Or maybe not
On a snowy (?!) April morning here in DC, a quick post on my favorite old subject, nanotechnology.
Christine Peterson of the Foresight Institute has a great post about how University of Maryland researchers are claiming that "nanofactories are not that far away!" Evidently, "before long" you may not need to go to the doctor, because nanobots will be implanted in your internal organs (painlessly, mind you) and will produce pharmaceuticals on-demand from readily available molecules. Sounds great, doesn’t it!
Not so fast. This is certainly the dream of nanomedicine, but Peterson, likely the world’s most experienced analyst of these issues, is skeptical. She points out that people will start calling t
heir work "nanofactories" even if they don’t meet the actual definition of nanofactories (which will be much harder to attain.)
In short, it’s great to see nanotech innovation go forward. As long as Michael Crichton doesn’t write any more books on the subject.