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Gaming the Future: The Book!

Month: January 2001

Gilmore on nanotech & copy-protection

from the what-do-you-mean-replication-is-illegal? dept.
Senior Associate John Gilmore of EFF has written this item on the problem of copy-protection including the connection to nanotech. John prefaced it with: "My latest missive about copy-protection. I tie in the big nanotech angle toward the end. I have to sneak them up to it because they think I'm crazy if I lead with it. Feel free to reproduce this. If you publish it far and wide, let me know so I can feed you corrections as they come in from the critics…" Sounds like John would appreciate feedback, so add your comments below.

LA Weekly "disses" Tranhumanists

from the reactionary-media dept.
Martin Archer writes "Here's another myopic treatment of tranhumanists, from the LA Weekly, Jan 19-25, 2001. Say what you will about Natasha Vita More and Max More, but personally, I just don't understand the journalist's viewpoint: '…Perhaps one day we'll all be transhumans, or posthuman cyborgs, but since we're not cyborgs now, it's hard to get too worked up about it…' It's difficult bringing the subject of the impending technological life extension 'tsunami' even to close friends. How do you do it without coming across as a weirdo?" CP: Fortunately, with the web we can judge for ourselves, without intervening media bias: see Extropy.org and Extrodot.

Space colonization via nanotech

from the there's-plenty-of-room-at-the-top dept.
David Coutts writes "I'm a big fan of the Living Universe Foundation, and a member. I agree with their goal of the human civilisation of space, starting with our own solar system (they call this phase "Solaria", the equivalent of Kardashev Level 2) and then on to the Milky Way galaxy ("Galactica", or K-3). Until recently, they don't appear to have taken nanotechnology seriously, so I was delighted to read the following article on nano fibers in the online "Distant Star" magazine: http://www.distant-star.com/issue13/jan_2001_nanofibers.htm Personally, I would like to see Foresight Institute and the Living Universe work together to ensure that there is a place for humanity in space, starting with our own solar system." CP: One point of disagreement would be that LUF wants to colonize the ocean surface first.

Evolutionary computation for fractal robots & nanotech

from the changing-software dept.
JohnPierce writes "Efficient 'shape shifting' of complex Fractal Robots will require optimized logistics. On-the-fly Evolutionary Computation may be the answer. A Discover article describes Evolutionary Computation for logistical optimization of a large warehouse distribution system. This technique may also find uses in design and operation of Nanosystems."

Scientists accidentally make more lethal mousepox virus

from the oops dept.
VAB writes "Australian GE researchers accidentally created a more virulent version of the mousepox virus which proved fatal in 100% of mouse infections by adding the IL-4 gene. BBC Article: "Professor John Oxford says he would not have expected this result. He adds though that while rare, it is inevitable that unpredictable events will occur which is why experiments are closely monitored and performed in isolated laboratories."

Researcher Ron Jackson: "It would be safe to assume that if some idiot did put human IL-4 into human smallpox they'd increase the lethality quite dramatically… Seeing the consequences of what happened in the mice, I wouldn't want to be the one who'd want to do the experiment".

The Australian Department of Defense was consulted before publication of the research because of its potential impact in the ability of terrorists and outlaw states to develop biological weapons. Precipitant Research"

meVC: nanotech potential is "staggering"

from the sounds-right-to-us dept.
Senior Associate Steve Jurvetson brings to our attention the meVC annual report, which includes coverage of their interest in investing in nanotechnology. meVC's website states that it is "the first venture capital investment management firm to provide all investors access to venture capital, a top-performing asset class previously open only to high net worth individuals and institutional investors.". The fund is connected with Draper Fisher Jurvetson, a corporate sponsor of this spring's Foresight Gathering. Read More for the excerpt from CEO John Grillos.

Zyvex profiled by Forbes

from the megabucks-for-nanogoals dept.
Senior Associate Ralph Merkle, Principle Fellow at Zyvex, notes that Forbes.com has an article on the company: "Zyvex, billing itself as the first molecular nanotechnology company, is aiming for nanoproducts that are at least ten years from realization, if they are even possible. Von Ehr started up in 1997, buying ten powerful microscopesóone for $350,000óand building a chemistry lab, machine shop and clean room in a 20,000-square-foot factory that hasn't shaken its new-car smell. Zyvex grew from 15 people in 1999 to 29 last year, and Von Ehr plans to double in size annually for the next several years. What started out as a plan to spend $2 million to $3 million a year for ten years has evolved into an ambitious effort to raise and spend $300 million over eight years."

Overview of nanotechnology: yesterday and today

from the getting-oriented dept.
A well-done brief overview of molecular nanotechnology by University of Georgia chemist Dennis Rouvray is available at chembytes: "[Most] scientists were persuaded that nanotechnology was an unobtainable objective. Indeed, it was not until the second half of the 20th century that a few intrepid individuals risked raising their head above the parapet to question entrenched authority on the subject…Even with our current rudimentary chemical nanotechnology, it has been possible to fabricate a surprising range of simple nanomachines. These include abacuses, batteries, brakes, gears, plugs, rotors, ratchets, sensors, shuttles, sockets, switches and wires."

China sets up first nanometer technology base

from the U.S.-anxiety dept.
Senior Associate davesag writes "There's an article in the chinese People's Daily headlined 'China Sets up First Nanometer Technology Industrial Base in Tianjin': 'Its long-term focus is to develop and produce nanometer parts and nanometer machinery. Officials said as a joint effort of the State Administration of Petroleum and Chemical Industries, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qinghua University and Beijing University of Science and Engineering, the base would use the talented personnel and the existing labs in the universities, research institutions and enterprises to accelerate nanometer technology industrial development in the country.'

The full article has a few interesting links."

New book: Social policy bonds

from the funding-difficult-goals dept.
Senior Associate WillWare writes "Ronnie Horesh, an economist in New Zealand, has recently published a book on his notion of social policy bonds. The government issues bonds at a low price, redeemable at a high price when a social goal has been accomplished. This allows the government to set and fund social agendas while leaving the details of implementation to the free market."

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