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Nanotech Scenario Series
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PRESS RELEASE: APRIL 21, 2003
CRN Publishes List of Future Nanotech
Dangers
After months of intensive study, the Center for Responsible Nanotechnology
(CRN) has identified 11 separate, significant risks of advanced
nanotechnology. CRN is also researching solutions that may effectively address
each of those risks. Descriptions of all the risks—and proposed solutions—are
now posted online at
www.crnano.org/overview.htm.
Chris Phoenix, CRN’s Director of Research, emphasizes that these are
preliminary findings. “These new web pages summarize the existing state of our
understanding of molecular nanotechnology, its risks and problems, and
possible solutions that can promote safe use while avoiding unsafe or
irresponsible use,” says Phoenix. “Some of our opinions will probably change.
We are publishing these results now because we are looking for comments and
criticism from interested and informed parties.”
It’s important to note that ‘nanotechnology’ means different things to
different people. Most of today’s investment and press coverage concerns
nanomaterials research, which deals with exploiting novel properties of
materials at the nanoscale. CRN’s research and policy papers focus on
molecular nanotechnology (MNT), a near-future technology that will build
machines and products molecule by molecule, with every atom precisely placed.
Molecular nanotechnology will be a significant breakthrough, comparable
perhaps to the Industrial Revolution—but compressed into a few years. The
potential benefits to humanity are almost incalculable, but in order to avoid
the dangers we must thoroughly understand them and then develop a
comprehensive plan to avert them. The first step in understanding the dangers
is to identify them, and CRN has begun that important process.
“One of the dangers of talking about risks is that it can prompt knee-jerk
reactions in some people,” says Mike Treder, Executive Director of CRN. “There
are indeed serious risks, and many of them are quite worrisome. The answer,
however, is not to hide our heads in the sand and hope nanotech will go away,
because it won’t. Sooner or later, someone will develop MNT, and it will be
very disruptive. We need to perform a thorough, rational exploration of all
the problems that may arise, and then seek effective solutions.”
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