From: Michael M. Butler (butler@comp-lib.org)
Date: Wed Apr 25 2001 - 21:54:30 MDT
Taken private.
Russell Whitaker wrote:
>
> This is forwarded to the Extropians mailing list
> with Mark Pesce's express written permission.
>
> Note that Mark is not responding to me, he's
> responding
> to Mike Butler's comments forwarded by me.
>
> Mike Butler's comments are preceded with 4 chevrons
> (> > > >), Mark's comments in reply with 2 chevrons
> (> >).
>
> Please CC comments to mark@playfulworld.com.
>
> Russell
>
> >
> > >From: "Mark Pesce" <mark@playfulworld.com>
> > >To: <whitaker@best.com>
> > >Subject: RE: Re: Mark Pesce: nanotech on Art Bell -
> > broadcast is encoded
> > >and
> > >Date: Wed, 25 Apr 2001 14:16:52 -0700
> > >
> > >Russell -
> > >
> > > > > 1. Gray Goo gets mentioned again, flatly, as
> > > > > something that could devastate the world. "In
> > 72
> > > > > hours."
> > >
> > >It can be dressed up or down (and goodness knows
> > nano researchers like to)
> > >but this is one dwell point of the nano attractor.
> > It's interesting to
> > >note
> > >that Drexler recanted on this point in the 2nd
> > edition of EOC, but his
> > >argument ("cars that eat trees") is almost
> > embarassingly facile, confusing
> > >the macro and nano levels in order to make
> > something seem safer than it
> > >really is.
> > >
> > > > > No mention of Freitas' _Biovorous
> > Nanoreplicators
> > > > > and Global Ecophagy_ work, no mention of the
> > > > > Foresight Institute's guidelines.
> > >
> > >*Very* incorrect on the second point; on the first
> > point, if I'd used the
> > >words "biovorous" or "ecophagy" i would have lost
> > the audience. I
> > >translated these concepts into ideas a lay public
> > can understand.
> > >
> > > > > 2. Responding to Art Bell briefly roleplaying
> > a
> > > > > member of Congress, Pesce suggests that
> > government
> > > > > involvement and
> > > > > "something like a CDC" is necessary. Again, no
> > > > > mention of the Foresight guidelines, though
> > > > > Foresight Institute was
> > > > > mentioned briefly earlier on in the program.
> > > > > Perhaps Mr. Pesce is unaware of them.
> > >
> > >Once again, incorrect. I repeatedly indicated that
> > ethical and scientific
> > >debate about how to approach nanotechnology is of
> > fundamental concern to
> > >that community. Thankfully. That I did not fly
> > the Foresight banner on
> > >the
> > >air should make little or no difference on this
> > point. It flies high
> > >enough
> > >on the Playful World website, and over the last 36
> > hours about 10,000
> > >people
> > >have come in to take a look at that site. I would
> > imagine the hits on the
> > >Foresight website are up a bit as a result.
> > >
> > > > > Art Bell has guests from all over the map. Art
> > is
> > > > > very careful to give them all enough rope.
> > Michio
> > > > > Kaku goes on the air
> > > > > with him, and he's no slouch, scientifically
> > > > > speaking. From what I've heard so far, Mr.
> > Pesce has
> > > > > done far from a bad
> > > > > thing, even if he _has_ just inoculated x
> > million
> > > > > minds with the "gray goo" scenario.
> > >
> > >Which I felt was the most *important* thing I could
> > do in this situation.
> > >You've been living with these ideas for many years
> > (in my case, twenty).
> > >You understand the dangers and the promise well
> > enough. The public does
> > >not. It makes sense to deliver both the upside and
> > the downside messages
> > >of
> > >nano in a single "innoculation" because that way we
> > stand the best chance
> > >of
> > >breeding some intelligent discussion on the
> > subject.
> > >
> > >It should be noted that I've received many emails
> > from Art's listeners. A
> > >few are a bit weird, but most are *very*
> > thoughtful.
> > >
> > >Feel free to pass these comments back on to
> > whomever they came from.
> > >
> > >best,
> > >
> > >Mark
> > >
>
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