Lincoln Roseanna writes "Values are the key to making Nanotech work FOR the future When discussing the implications of Nanotechnology, one assumption has been clearly stated; that someone, somewhere, will abuse the technology.
The strength in that belief of ourselves is the force that creates war, though mistrust, fear, guilt and paranoia.
The emergence of commercial applications for nanotechnology, usable, saleable, mass-producible products, means that we are entering a new stage of evolution. Just as technology for transport changed the way that industry, society, cultures and countries interact with each other so profoundly, this new technological revolution will, in time affect every aspect of our lives on this planet. It is time that the implications of this type of research and development were taken very seriously. It is time that we thoroughly analyse and shift our motivation, and our values."
Read more for the remainder of this lengthy comment. Lincoln Roseanna continues"One outcome of the successful application of nanotechnology is that we produce new resources and materials abundantly, freely and at little cost. Are we ready to share the wealth of what we are creating ? If we could produce the hardest diamond or the strongest steel, would we freely share the knowledge of creating that, or even the product that we have created with our neighbours ?
It is clear that a capitalist culture must at some stage unfold into an evenly balanced cooperative society where the ìunderdogsî have as great an opportunity as the ìeliteî. To go on extending the gap between rich and poor would be insane, and we would drive ourselves mad through the guilt of not having shared the wealth that we had helped create.We must align our values in order to create what it is that we most desire, and to not destroy ourselves through the re-creation of our nightmares; the Gestalt of cultural downfall, self annihilation. We have demonstrated in the past that we can be quite irresponsible with new toys. To cite a simple, obvious example; nuclear bombs are a disastrous creation, as is the willingness and justification to use them.For our future diction in development to shift, our discussions for the applications of new technologies should be based on the alignment of values within companies, governments, individuals, and our. Prevention strategies are a backward approach; they come before the fact, assuming that someone will misuse the technology. Creating a pre-introduction prevention strategy is insane, it is not trusting or productive to assume failure, or guilt of anyone.Conscientious, ethical, aligned individuals with the ability to affect change (all of us) are responsible for the creation of guidelines that focus on and foster the primary values that are for the highest good of all. We can do this and include all of those strategies that will highlight the misuse of, and prevent the development of, harmful applications of nanotechnology.We are full of possibilities, potential applications, amazing new ideas that are so close to becoming real, yet riddled with fear that we will be unable to control what they do, or who does what with them. Make this assumption; we can not control ourselves or each other. We can only consciously, cooperatively, work together to shift our motivation, to change the reason that we choose to create what we do.If we are to make use of the fantastic applications that we have imagined, then we must rid ourselves of the fear based control that has us acting out of guilt, creating through paranoia and mistrust, the malignment of our pictures of ourselves, each other and our plight that have us creating weapons, defences, and tools for power and control of others.There are no hostile forces. There are only individual elements of ourself as collected culture acting from the value systems that we have created based on our experience of the past. We need to review where we are at, reverse any limiting decisions we may have about ourselves and our ability to act for the good of all, and move on to create greater technologies through the values of compassion, trust, cooperation, sharing, health, wealth and happiness for all. Until we believe that this is possible, our only plight is to create the misuse of nanotechnology, and its various applications to the detriment of ourselves, our planet and our children.If we are to avoid the destruction of ourselves and each other, then we must forgive ourselves for the misuse of technologies in the past. We must not develop guidelines, foundations or policies for the use of nanotechnologies based on the fear of ourselves and our actions of the past. We must drive so much energy into the alignment of values, to the positive visions and beneficial outcomes of the technologies that our mistakes, our fears and our mistrust are dimmed by comparison. Let the greatest driver of the development of new technology be the care and compassion for others.Lincoln Roseanna"
