X-Message-Number: 27362
Date: Tue, 15 Nov 2005 10:00:20 -0500
From: Robin Helweg-Larsen <>
Subject: Richard Smalley obituary
References: <>

Richard Smalley, Nobel-winning "champion of nanotechnology", died 
October 28th.

In the current Economist (November 12th), a paragraph in his full-page 
obituary reads:

> In his last years, he devoted much time to fighting another prominent 
> champion of nanotechnology, Eric Drexler.  Dr Drexler had suggested 
> that nanotechnology should be used to make self-replicating machines 
> called "nanobots"; environmentalists worried that such things might 
> one day get out of control.  Dr Smalley saw off both camps, painting 
> Dr Drexler's robots as foolish and insisting that nanotechnology was 
> only a force for good.  In private, he joked that he had "squashed 
> that bug".

Those of us who side with Drexler can hope one day to be 
"de-obituarized".  I assume Smalley won't join us.

Robin HL

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