Do Sweat the Small Stuff ! Why Everyone Should Care About Nanotechnology Mike Treder, Executive Director Center for Responsible Nanotechnology WorldFuture 2005 Chicago July 30, 2005 Mike Treder, Executive Director Center for Responsible Nanotechnology WorldFuture 2005 Chicago July 30, 2005

Why Everyone Should Care About Nanotechnology How What Where When When Who

How… What… Where… When… When… Who… Why… About Nanotechnology

How… What… Where… When… When… Who… Why…

You’re driving a car, very fast, on a poorly marked road, in the pitch-black darkness. There are no streetlights, there is no moon out tonight, the only illumination you have is your car’s headlights. You’re in uncharted territory; you have no roadmap, no way to know for sure where you are going…but you’re driving very fast, into the pitch-black darkness…

That’s the state of nanotechnology today. We’re advancing rapidly into uncharted territory. The changes this technology will bring may arrive sooner than we are prepared to respond effectively to them. It’s like driving a car in the darkness with only your headlights to show what’s ahead. The speed you are driving exceeds your ability to react, and if something suddenly comes out of the darkness, you won’t have time to respond and avoid disaster.

One other thing: you don’t know it, but there is a chasm up ahead in the distance. You are driving directly toward it, very fast, and you don’t even know it’s there. That’s where we are going with advanced nanotechnology.

How… What… Where… When… When… Who… Why…

How… What… Where… When… When… Who… Why…

What… is nanotechnology?

1) Nanoscale technology Big machines making small products 1) Nanoscale technology Big machines making small products 2) Molecular manufacturing Small machines making big products 2) Molecular manufacturing Small machines making big products

What… is nanotechnology? 1) Nanoscale technology  Incremental advances  Familiar problems 1) Nanoscale technology  Incremental advances  Familiar problems 2) Molecular manufacturing  Revolutionary advances  Unfamiliar problems 2) Molecular manufacturing  Revolutionary advances  Unfamiliar problems

How… What… Where… When… When… Who… Why…

How… What… Where… When… When… Who… Why…

How… will MM affect us?

Not just new products — A new means of production!

How… will MM affect us?  faster, smaller, better  exponential proliferation  revolutionary products  vastly accelerated product improvement  faster, smaller, better  exponential proliferation  revolutionary products  vastly accelerated product improvement Scaling laws Factories that make factories Bottom-up, atomically precise manufacturing Cheap rapid prototyping Scaling laws Factories that make factories Bottom-up, atomically precise manufacturing Cheap rapid prototyping

How… will MM affect us?

Lifesaving medical robots Lifesaving medical robotsor Untraceable weapons of mass destruction How… will MM affect us?

Lifesaving medical robots Lifesaving medical robotsor Untraceable weapons of mass destruction Networked computers for everyone in the world or Networked cameras so governments can watch our every move How… will MM affect us?

Lifesaving medical robots Lifesaving medical robotsor Untraceable weapons of mass destruction Networked computers for everyone in the world or Networked cameras so governments can watch our every move Trillions of dollars of abundance or A vicious scramble to own everything How… will MM affect us?

Lifesaving medical robots Lifesaving medical robotsor Untraceable weapons of mass destruction Networked computers for everyone in the world or Networked cameras so governments can watch our every move Trillions of dollars of abundance or A vicious scramble to own everything Rapid invention of wondrous products or Weapons development fast enough to destabilize any arms race How… will MM affect us?

Lifesaving medical robots Lifesaving medical robotsAND Untraceable weapons of mass destruction Networked computers for everyone in the world AND Networked cameras so governments can watch our every move Trillions of dollars of abundance AND A vicious scramble to own everything Rapid invention of wondrous products AND Weapons development fast enough to destabilize any arms race How… will MM affect us?

How… What… Where… When… When… Who… Why…

How… What… Where… When… When… Who… Why…

Why… is MM coming soon? Five leading drivers:  Energy/Environment  Life Quality - Healthcare & Pharmaceuticals  Industrial Productivity - Info Tech & Manufacturing  Security/Surveillance/Privacy  Military/Geopolitics

Why… is MM coming soon? Energy/Environment  Clean power  Smaller footprint  Remediation  Nano-litter  Planet-scale engineering  Albedo change

Why… is MM coming soon? Life Quality  Conquer diseases  Increase healthspans  Improve mental wellness  Overpopulation  Psychotropic drug abuse

Why… is MM coming soon? Industrial Productivity  Supercomputing  Low-cost manufacturing  Rapid product improvement  Economic disruption / social chaos  Monopolies / black markets

Why… is MM coming soon? Security/Surveillance/Privacy  Counterterrorism  Crime fighting & prevention  Intrusive surveillance  Stolen intellectual property  Identity theft

Why… is MM coming soon? Military/Geopolitics  Nano arms race - Easy to build - Hard to monitor - Easy to deliver - Obsolete almost immediately - Programmable and controllable  Rapidly shifting balance of power

How… What… Where… When… When… Who… Why…

How… What… Where… When… When… Who… Why…

Surveillance & Privacy Information Technology Ecological Remediation Arms Control & Geopolitics Sustainable Development Who… should start preparing?  All Stakeholders! Social Justice Intellectual Property Policing & Criminology Business & Trade Medical Ethics & Research

How… What… Where… When… Who… Why…

How… What… Where… When… Who… Why…

When… will MM be developed?

When ? Brookhaven National Laboratory National Renewable Energy Laboratory Oak Ridge National Laboratory Pacific Northwest National Laboratory Idaho National Laboratory Battelle – Foresight Roadmap Initiative Technology Roadmap for Productive Nanosystems We may know the answer soon…

CRN Policy and Implications Task Force For Advanced Nanotechnology  Study implications  Evaluate policy options  Consider all stakeholders  Seek integrated, comprehensive solutions  Publish recommendations  Promote proposals with relevant groups  Study implications  Evaluate policy options  Consider all stakeholders  Seek integrated, comprehensive solutions  Publish recommendations  Promote proposals with relevant groups

Before molecular manufacturing starts working...

WE ALL must start working on wise solutions! WE ALL must start working on wise solutions!

For more information: Mike Treder — Executive Director Center for Responsible Nanotechnology Mike Treder — Executive Director Center for Responsible Nanotechnology