Foresight Institute steers emerging and world-shaping technologies for beneficial purposes and has done so for 30 years. It is our mission to spark innovative research across multidisciplinary fields such as molecular machines, artificial intelligence, and longevity science. We serve as a nexus for innovation to catalyze research, reward excellence, restrain recklessness, and create community aimed at the long-term flourishing of humanity and the biosphere.
More about the vision, mission, and activities of the Foresight Institute
For the complete list of this year’s projects, with links to videos and white papers, please see our 2017 achievements & 2018 plans.
What is Foresight Institute? 1:17 Published on Sep 22, 2016
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Foresight Institute is a leading think tank and public interest organization focused on transformative future technologies. Founded in 1986 on a vision of coming revolutions in technology that will bring both great opportunities and great dangers, and including ideas of how to prepare for these technologies, its mission is to discover and promote the upsides, and help avoid the dangers, of nanotechnology, AI, biotech, and similar life-changing developments. We support developments towards an abundant future. For more information visit https://www.foresight.org
Tropostats: Nanotechnology Harnessing Photosynthesis from Amber Webster on Vimeo.
Foresight Institute’s primary focus over the past 30 years has been the progression of nanotechnology from current applications in which the structure of matter is controlled on a scale of a small number of nanometers to the eventual development of molecular manufacturing—also termed atomically precise manufacturing—in which complex systems of atomically precise molecular machines perform a series of atomically precise operations to produce various products efficiently and without polluting the environment. One example of what could be built once nanotechnology advances to this level is this concept from Robert A. Freitas Jr., upon which this animation is based: “Diamond Trees (Tropostats): A Molecular Manufacturing Based System for Compositional Atmospheric Homeostasis” IMM Report No. 43, February 10, 2010.
Saturday, November 19, 2016. San Francisco
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We’re all seeing impressive developments. But the future is not determined. The ink isn’t dry. What should humanity’s path look like? Foresight is bringing together leading minds to fight it out.
Watch on YouTube: Tomorrow and the day after Drop everything to work on AI
Life, longer and better Goodbye Nation-States
Published on Jan 10, 2017. Watch on YouTube
Workshop White Paper
Workshop recap of our invitational technical workshop held in September 2016 in Palo Alto.
Published on Aug 29, 2016. Watch on YouTube
Workshop White Paper
It is peak time for a technological breakthrough for energy. For this reason, Foresight Institute brought together leading scientists, technologists, policy makers, and domain experts from all over the world.
Atomic Precision for Medical Applications Workshop Video from Foresight Institute on Vimeo.
Workshop White Paper
More on Foresight Institute’s 2015 Workshop on Atomic Precision for Medical Applications …
Atomically Precise Materials for Energy from Foresight Institute on Vimeo.
Workshop White Paper
More on Foresight Institute’s 2014 Workshop on Directed/Programmable Matter for Energy …
Foresight Institute is a leading think tank and public interest organization focused on world-shaping future technologies. Founded in 1986, its mission is to discover and promote the upsides, and help avoid the dangers, of nanotechnology, AI, biotech, and similar life-changing developments.
Foresight is the primary force pushing for the kind of nanotechnology that will truly transform our future, from medicine to the environment to space settlement. We bring that vision and goal to new audiences, including inspiring young researchers.
Foresight’s mission is to:
March 13, 2017. Congratulations to our 2017 inaugural class of Foresight Fellows! Find out more here.
May 4, 2018. Congratulations to our 2018 class of Foresight Fellows!
Richard P. Feynman
(1918-1988)
Nominations for the 2020 Foresight Institute Feynman Prizes: Experimental and Theory are due on May 18, 2020. Winners will be announced at Foresight’s Molecular Precision for Climate and Environment, Sept. 5,6 2020, University of California, Los Angeles.
Nominations for the 2020 Distinguished Student Award are due on May 18, 2020. The winner will be announced at Foresight’s Molecular Precision for Climate and Environment, Sept. 5,6 2020, University of California, Los Angeles.
Foresight Institute’s Nanodot Blog
