Well it would appear that the U.S. government has released an updated strategic plan for nanotechnology development for the next 5-10 years. You can find the plan itself here. According to comments here the 22 government agencies involved are spending $1 billion on these efforts in 2004. Interesting given that there is no definition for "MNT" in the glossary of the "plan". So we are effectively spending $1B/yr on "nanoscale science"…
The question becomes is there any way to evaluate these plans and budgets to determine whether the U.S. government pushing long term high risk efforts that will ultimately lead to continued U.S. leadership in these high technology areas, or had we best sell everything we own in the U.S. and move to China and enroll in one of the 50 MIT's they plan on constructing? [1]. More…
1. Ray Kurzweil in "Machine Dreams" an interview by Art Jahnke in CIO, October 15, 2004
For those of you who have been following stem cell politics you know that the Chinese are pouring money into stem cell research because they view that as the only way to reduce the need for young bread winners to stay home and care for elderly parents or grandparents (a negative consequence of the one child per family policy). I find it rather amazing that the Chinese are following a policy of practical necessity while the U.S. is in a swamp of political conservatism combined with scientists and engineers begging off from a challenge (MNT) because it is "too hard".
It would appear from a brief glance at the "Strategic Plan" (I say that tongue in cheek) that more people need to be speaking with people at NSET as well as leading VCs and asking them point blank (given recent developments as pointed out here) — "How much of the boat do you want to miss?" One only has to look at Amazon, Hotmail and Google to know we still have the capability. What we lack is the leadership. Once the boat has pulled away from the dock you are going to have to run and leap to catch it. It would appear (in the editor's opinion) that it is going to be quite a long jump at this time unless there are some significant perspective adjustments.
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