From: hal@finney.org
Date: Wed Aug 02 2000 - 13:00:17 MDT
Greg writes:
> Check out this article in zdnet -- and especially the follow-up posts as a
> good cross-section of "average Joe" reaction:
>
> http://www.zdnet.com/anchordesk/stories/story/0,10738,2610573,00.html
Not too surprising overall, some pro, a lot of worries. Pretty reasonable
for a first exposure to the ideas.
One thing that did surprise me was the many comparisons to Star Trek's
Borg. While nano would presumably make the Borg more possible, their
technology doesn't seem to be particularly tied to nanotech, any more
than any other futuristic tech. (I know the Voyager show did claim that
assimilation involved injecting nanobots, but only dedicated fans would
be aware of that, as it was mentioned in only a couple of episodes of
that relatively low-rated Star Trek series.)
Concerns about out-of-control nano or engineered viruses seem much more
plausible as a first reaction. "Thinking small" just doesn't seem to lead
to an image of the Borg. Perhaps it is just a metaphor for unstoppable
future changes.
Hal
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