Nanotechnology: Immortality Or Total Annihilation? Essay, Research Paper
Technology has evolved from ideals once
seen as unbelievable to common everyday instruments.
Computers that used to occupy an entire
room are now the size of notebooks. The human race has always
pushed for technological advances working
at the most efficient level, perhaps, the molecular level. The
developments and progress in artificial
intelligence and molecular technology have spawned a new form
of technology; Nanotechnology. Nanotechnology
could give the human race eternal life, or it could cause
total annihilation.
The idea of nanotech was conceived
by a man named K. Eric Drexler (Stix 94), which he defines
as “Technology based on the manipulation
of individual atoms and molecules to build structures to
complex atomic specifications (Drexler,
“Engines” 288).” The technology which Drexler speaks of will be
undoubtedly small, in fact, nano- structures
will only measure 100 nanometers, or a billionth of a meter
(Stix 94).
Being as small as they are, nanostructures
require fine particles that can only be seen with the
STM, or Scanning Tunneling Microscope
(Dowie 4). Moreover the STM allows the scientists to not only
see things at the molecular level, but
it can pick up and move atoms as well (Port 128). Unfortunately the
one device that is giving nanoscientists
something to work with is also one of the many obstacles
restricting the development of nanotech.
The STM has been regarded as too big to ever produce nanotech
structures (Port 128). Other scientists
have stated that the manipulation of atoms, which nanotech relies
on, ignores atomic reality. Atoms
simply don’t fit together in ways which nanotech intends to use them
(Garfinkel 105). The problems plaguing
the progress of nanotech has raised many questions among the
scientific community concerning it’s validity.
The moving of atoms, the gathering of information, the
restrictions of the STM, all restrict
nanotech progress. And until these questions are answered, nanotech
is regarded as silly (Stix 98).
But the nanotech optimists are still
out there. They contend that the progress made by a team at
IBM who was able to write letters and
draw pictures atom by atom actually began the birth of nanotech
(Darling 49). These same people
answer the scientific questions by replying that a breakthrough is not
needed, rather the science gained must
be applied (DuCharme 33). In fact, Drexler argues that the
machines exist, trends are simply working
on building better ones (”Unbounding” 24). Drexler continues
by stating that the machines he spoke
about in “Engines of Creation” published in 1986 should be
developed early in the 21st century (”Unbounding”
116).
However many scientists still argue
that because nanotech has produced absolutely nothing
physical, it should be regarded as science
fiction (Garfinkel 111). Secondly, nano-doubters rely on
scientific fact to condemn nanotech.
For example it is argued that we are very far away from ever seeing
nanotech due to the fact that when atoms
get warm they have a tendency to bounce around. As a result
the bouncing atoms collide with other
materials and mess up the entire structure (Davidson A1). Taken in
hand with the movement of electron charges,
many regard nanotech as impossible (Garfinkel 106). But
this is not the entirety of the obstacles
confining nanotech development. One major set-back is the fact
that the nanostructures are too small
to reflect light in a visible way, making them practically invisible
(Garfinkel 104).
Nevertheless, Nanotech engineers
remain hopeful and argue that; “With adequate funding,
researchers will soon be able to custom
build simple molecules that can store and process information and
manipulate or fabricate other molecules,
including more of themselves. This may occur before the turn of
the century.”(Roland 30) There are
other developments also, that are pushing nanotech in the right
direction for as Lipkin pointed
out recent developments have lead to possibilities of computers thinking
in
3-D (5). Which is a big step towards
the processing of information that nanotech requires. Although
there are still unanswered questions from
some of the scientific community, researchers believe that they
are moving forward and will one day be
able to produce nanomachines.
One such machine is regarded as a
replicator. A replicator, as it’s name implies, will replicate;
much like the way in which genes are able
to replicate themselves (Drexler, “Engines” 23). It is also
believed that once a replicator has made
a copy of itself, it will also be able to arrange atoms to build
entirely new materials and structures
(Dowie 5).
Another perceived nanomachine is
the assembler. The assembler is a small machine that will
take in raw materials, follow a set of
specific instructions, re-arrange the atoms, and result in an
altogether new product (Darling 53).
Hence, one could make diamonds simply by giving some assemblers
a lump of coal. Drexler states that
the assemblers will be the most beneficial nanites for they will build
structures atom by atom (”Engines” 12).
Along with the assemblers comes its opposite, the disassembler.
The disassembler is very similar to the
assemblers, except it works backwards. It is believed that these
nanites will allow scientists to analyze
materials by breaking them down, atom by atom (Drexler,
“Engines” 19). As a result of the
enhanced production effects of assemblers Drexler believes that they will
be able to shrink computers and improve
their operation, giving us nanocomputers. These machines will
be able to do all things that current
computers can do, but at a much more efficient level.
Once these nanomachines are complete
they will be able to grasp molecules, bond them together,
and eventually result in a larger, new
structure (Drexler, “Engines” 13). Through this and similar
processes the possibilities of nanotech
are endless. It is believed that nanites could build robots, shrunken
versions of mills, rocket ships, microscopic
submarines that patrol the bloodstream, and more of
themselves (Stix 94). Hence, their
is no limit to what nanotech can do, it could arrange circuits and build
super-computers, or give eternal life
(Stix 97). Overall Drexler contends; “Advances in the technologies
of medicine, space, computation, and production-and
warfare all depend on our ability to arrange atoms.
With assemblers, we will be able to remake
our world, or destroy it” (”Engines” 14).
In a more specific spectrum, are
the impacts nanotechnology could have on the area of
production. Nanotechnology could
greatly increase our means of production. Nanites have the ability
to
convert bulks of raw materials into manufactured
goods by arranging atoms (DuCharme 58). As a result
of this increased efficiency, DuCharme
believes that this will become the norm in producing goods, that
this whole filed will now be done at the
molecular level (34). Thus, nanotech could eliminate the need for
production conditions that are harmful
or difficult to maintain (Roland 31). Moreover, the impact that
nanotech will have on production could
lead to a never before seen abundance of goods. Costs and labor
will all be significantly cheaper.
Everyone would be able to use nanotech as a tool for increased efficiency
in the area of production (DuCharme 60).
The overall effects of nanotech on producing materials were
best summed up by Dowie, “This new revolution
won’t require crushing, boiling, melting, etc. Goods
would now be built from the atom up by
nanomachines” (4).
Nanotech will also be able to benefit
us in other ways. One great advantage to nanotech will be
the improvements it will lend in the areas
of medicine. With the production of microscopic submarines,
this branch of nanotech could be the most
appealing. These nanites would be able to patrol the
bloodstream sensing friendly chemicals
and converting bad ones into harmless waste (Darling 7). But
nanites will be able to do more than this,
this brand of nanites could also repair damaged DNA and hunt
cancer (Port 128). Thus, nanites
would be able to cure many illnesses and repair DNA. Moreover,
nanites could remove the need to keep
animals for human use, they could simply produce the food inside
your body (Darling 59). As a result
of nanites floating through your body and attacking harmful
substances such as cholesterol, people
could live indefinitely ? perhaps a millennia (Davidson A1).
This idea opens up another door
in the field of nanotech research, dealing with the potential for
immortality. But aside from providing
eternal life through fixing DNA and curing illnesses, nanotech
could be used with cryogenics in providing
never-ending life. The current problem with cryogenics is
after a person is frozen the cells in
their body expand and burst. Nanotech could solve for this problem
for
they could find and replace the
broken cells (DuCharme 152). Also, however, nanites wouldn’t even
require the entire frozen body.
They could simply replicate the DNA in a frozen head and then produce a
whole new person (DuCharme 155).
However, this poses a potential problem,
that being overpopulation, and the environment.
DuCharme contends that this should not
be a concern for a high standard of living will keep the
population from growing (61). However,
if the population were to increase nanotech will have produced
the energy to allow us to live in currently
uninhabitable areas of the earth (DuCharme 63). Nanites will
allow people to not only live on earth,
but on the sea, under the sea, underground, and in space due to
increased flight capabilities (DuCharme
64). Hence, the human race will have a near infinite space for
living. Also, nanites would reduce
the toxins manufactured from cars by producing cheap electric cars,
but also use disassemblers to clean
up waste dumps (DuCharme 68). The benefits of nanotech are
countless, it could be used to do anything
from spying to mowing the lawn (Davidson A1). However, with
the good comes the bad. Nanotech
could also bring some distinct disadvantages.
One scenario which illustrates the
danger of nanotech is referred to as the gray goo problem.
Gray Goo is referred to as when billions
of nanites band together and eat everything they come into
contact with (Davidson A1). However,
Davidson only gets the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the
deadliness of gray goo. Roland better
illustrates this hazards threat; “Nanotechnology could spawn a new
form of life that would overwhelm all
other life on earth, replacing it with a swarm of nanomachines.
This is sometimes called the ‘gray goo’
scenario. It could take the form of a new disease organism, which
might wipe out whole species, including
Homo Sapiens”(32). Simply put the nanites would replicate to
quickly and destroy everything including
the human race (Stix 95). Moreover, the rapid replication rate
that nanotech is capable of could allow
it to out-produce real organisms and turn the biosphere to dust
(Drexler, “Engines” 172). However,
death is only one of the dangers of gray goo. If controlled by the
wrong people, nanites could be used to
alter or destroy those persons enemies (Roland 32). But gray goo
is only of one of the many potential harms
of nanotech.
If so desired, nanotech could be
used as a deadly weapon. Although microscopic robots don’t
sound like a very effective weapon, Drexler
states that they are more potent than Nuclear weapons, and
much easier to obtain (”Engines” 174).
But aside from being used as a weapon, nanites would be able to
produce weapons at a quick and inexpensive
rate. In fact, with the ability to separate isotopes and atoms
one would be able to extract fissionable
Uranium 235 or Plutonium 239. With these elements, a person
has the key ingredients for a nuclear
bomb (Roland 34). As a result of the lethality of nano-weapons the
first to develop nanotech could use it
to destroy his rivals. New methods for domination will exist that
is
greater than Nukes and more dangerous
(Roland 33). This along with simple errors, such as receiving the
wrong instructions points toward nanotech
doing more harm than good (Darling 56).
Moreover, the threats from nanotech
could be a potential cause of extinction (Drexler, “Engines”
174). Drexler continues by saying
that unless precautions are taken nano could lead to complete
annihilation (”Engines” 23).
However, if nanotech does not lead
to extinction, it could be used to increase the power of states
and individuals. Bacon believes
that only the very most elite individuals will receive benefits from
nanotech. Beyond that however, it
is perceived that advanced tech extends the possibilities of torture used
by a state (Drexler, “Engines” 176).
However, states will become more powerful in other ways. With the
increase means of production, nanotech
could remove the need for any if not all people (Drexler,
“Engines” 176). This opens new doors
for totalitarian states. They would no longer require keeping
anyone alive, individuals would not be
enslaved, rather they would be killed (Drexler, “Engines” 176). It
is perceived that all the benefits would
remove all interdependence, and destroy the quality of life itself
(Roland 34).
In the end, nanotech could give a
lifestyle never before imagined. On the other hand, it could
destroy entire species. The effects
and potentials of nanotech are best summed up by it’s inventor,
Drexler, “Nanotechnology and artificial
intelligence could bring the ultimate tools of destruction, but they
are not inherently destructive.
With care, we can use them to build the ultimate tools of peace” (”Engines”
190). The question of how beneficial
nanotech will prove to be, can only be answered by time. Time will
tell whether developments and progress
in artificial intelligence and molecular technology will eventually
produce true nanotechnology. And,
if produced, whether this branch of science will give us immortality
or total annihilation.