National Academy meeting on molecular manufacturing, part 2

Over at Nanobot, Adam Keiper gives more details on the NAS meeting on molecular manufacturing. Eric Drexler argued that the goal is feasible, after which: "More noteworthy than Drexlerís remark was the response to it from Clayton Teague, head of the National Nanotechnology Coordination Office: 'I agree with you very much, and I think youíll find everyone on the NNI thinks that it is something of international importance.' " Read more for a comment on time estimates. One surprise was the time estimate for molecular manufacturing — at least 50 years — given by David Berube. Or rather, what is surprising is not the estimate (which, as for all of us, is just a guess — and he has as much right to guess as anyone), but the attention given it. Prof. Berube's area of expertise is communication, rhetoric, and debate, rather than technology per se, or rate of technological change. There are many useful questions to ask him on nanotechnology, but timing is probably not high on that list.–CP