From: john grigg (starman125@hotmail.com)
Date: Tue Mar 07 2000 - 15:09:00 MST
Zero wrote:
The best way to deal with the problem, I think, is to freely release
verifyable forms of the tech so that, say, if I tried to manufacture anthrax
my nano-device would immediately report me to the authorities. But as long
as I limit my creations to food, diamonds, computer parts, etc. I'll have no
problem with the feds. Otherwise, I'll try to get an unregistered version
from the Cult of the Dead Cow and then...look out!
(end)
A very bright but criminally minded individual or group might be able to
hack into the safeguards so they could create whatever they pleased,
including antrax. Even the best defenses can be overcome by those with the
brains, education, time and money.
I could really see the federal government feeling that near-anything boxes
in homes would be somewhat like letting citizens have their own personal
nukes. Once there is even one major incident/scare the gov't would move in
a way that would make the gun control issue look minor by comparison.
In the name of public safety and national security, we may never be allowed
these replicators within our homes in the first place. The gov't and
corporate powers may say, "come to us, and for a "nominal" charge we will
create what you want."
Underground groups would have massive federal resources allocated against
them, to put them behind bars. The hacker hunts would pale by comparison.
Nano would be used to violate civil liberties that would be reminiscient of
the war on drugs but more clandestine and for that reason even more
threatening to people's rights.
My hope is that home nanoreplicator technology will develop very
incrementally and we will see it gain a foothold in the private citizen's
realm that will not be possible to reverse. May corporate greed and the
forces of capitalism triumph in this area! So we will see a nanoreplicator
and then eventually a near-anything box in every home! LOL! With
capitalistic inducements, proper safeguards and no individual or group
overcoming them to do something really vicious as an excuse for the gov't,
we may see our dreams come true.
sincerely,
John Grigg
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