Nature editor-in-chief on molecular nanotech

Euroscience.net has an ongoing nanotech discussion, originally kicked off by Nature editor-in-chief Philip Campbell commenting: "You'll find responses [to Bill Joy] from champions of nanotechnology such as Richard Smalley and Robert Freitas, as well as Freeman Dyson…But how is the public supposed to form a judgement when experts like Eric Drexler and Richard Smalley totally disagree about the feasibility of nano-robots of the kind envisaged by Joy? You can find that debate on Drexler's Foresight Institute website. So far Drexler has the last word – his latest rebuttal of Smalley was posted on his website in April 2003. (Two month later, in June, he posted an additional letter on his website. — Ed.) He sticks to physical arguments and shows why Smalley's particular reasons for dismissing molecular assemblers are beside the point." The debate later continued in C&E News. (Source: Feb '05 NanotechNews-now.)