Re: Goo prophylaxis

Nicholas Bostrom (bostrom@mail.ndirect.co.uk)
Sat, 30 Aug 1997 00:44:15 +0000


Eric Watt Forste wrote:

>In order for
> molecular nanotechnology to present a serious military threat to
> existing soldiery, highly optimized designs would have to be
> developed.

Why?

And even if that is the case, don't forget that the step from rather
optimized designs to highly optimized designs might be fairly quick,
and if that's the step that creates the big military potential,
then...

> I'm sorry, folks, but certain elements of this thread are starting
> to look like disasturbation to me.

I, on the contrary, think that this is the most interesting thread
we've ever had, and that it is really exciting that we are begining
to think seriously for the first time about the strategic situation
that will arise when nanotech is developed.

> Seriously, I think ordinary
> old biotech is a much more real danger (designer plagues and the
> like) to us right now.

Of course.

Nicholas Bostrom
http://www.hedweb.com/nickb