X-Message-Number: 12100
From: Thomas Donaldson <>
Subject: comments on nanotechnology for CRYONICS
Date: Fri, 9 Jul 1999 23:14:35 +1000 (EST)

About nanotechnology and Federal Funding of it:

I (contrary to what some may believe) also think that nanotechnology will 
become very important in the future, and grow in importance with time.
However I also would not limit my ideas of what is and what is not 
nanotechnology to only one particular kind. I notice in particular that
the nanotechnology which the US Federal Government proposes to fund does
not consist only of that promoted by Dr. Eric Drexler and his followers,
but other varieties too (such as the specifically mentioned supramolecular
chemistry). I personally think we would be making a very bad mistake
if we blithely assumed that only one kind of nanotechnology will let us
devise means for revival of damaged suspension patients --- and it's
important that there are several other kinds out there, not the least of
which is biotechnology and some (growing) branches of chemistry.

Furthermore, if the medical use of such nanotechnology was discussed, it's
still very unlikely that one medical use proposed for Federal support 
was the revival of those cryonically suspended by damaging methods. Even
if you accept a need for nanotechnology of some kind for revival, it
simply does not follow at all that US Federal Funding will move us much
closer to it, at least not until (imagine the day! at best only a loooong
time from now) cryonics became a major political movement. A large part 
of the work I've read in scientific journals is devoted to the use of
nanotechnology for (surprise!) smaller, faster computers. And such work
will very likely succeed. Hooray!!! We'll have smaller faster computers,
and still more cryonic suspendees needing repair. 

WE must support whatever technologies help us improve our suspensions;
and someday, WE must support the development of nanotechnologies for
repair of those unlucky cryonicists suspended before better means existed,
and even afterwards when such better means could not be applied.

			Best and long long life for all,

				Thomas Donaldson

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