Re: Nanotech Restrictions (was: RE: Transparency Debate)

From: Adrian Tymes (wingcat@pacbell.net)
Date: Tue Apr 04 2000 - 20:01:04 MDT


Billy Brown wrote:
> In both cases the benefits of relatively free deployment of the technology
> are so great that efforts at strict control are doomed to failure. Only a
> spectacular string of very scary-looking disasters would convince the public
> to support strict keep-it-away-from-lunatics regulation, and nothing like
> that has happened. Which raises an interesting question - why haven't we
> had any serious problems with terrorist use of these technologies?

Just a theory, but maybe...

* In order to effectively use these technologies, one must acquire a
  lot of knowledge.
* In the process of acquiring said knowledge, people typically learn of
  ways to solve problems better (cheaper/faster/more effective) than
  violence and mass slaughter.
* By the time one amasses the facilities and knowledge to actually use
  these in a terrorist capacity, one has usually moved beyond terrorist
  tactics and onto tactics that actually accomplish whatever ends were
  desired. (Exception: if one is extremely devoted to a cause that
  acknolwedges no solution except death to one's enemies, for instance
  with the Iraqi weapons labs.)

Does this seem plausible, or is there some major logic hole that I'm not
seeing?



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