On the molecular scale, you find it's reasonable to have a machine that does a million steps per second, a mechanical system that works at computer speeds. K. Eric Drexler computerfindmachine Change image and share on social
In thinking about nanotechnology today, what's most important is understanding where it leads, what nanotechnology will look like after we reach the assembler breakthrough. K. Eric Drexler assemblerbreakthroughimportant Change image and share on social
You can find academic and industrial groups doing some relevant work, but there isn't a focus on building complex molecular systems. In that respect, Japan is first, Europe is second, and we're third. K. Eric Drexler academicbuildcomplex Change image and share on social
But if we can manage it so people don't have things forced on them that they don't want, I think there's every reason to believe things can settle out in a situation that is recognizably better than the one we're stuck in today. K. Eric Drexler forcemanagepeople share on social
Any powerful technology can be abused. K. Eric Drexler abusepowerfultechnology Change image and share on social
It's a lot easier to see, at least in some cases, what the long-term limits of the possible will be, because they depend on natural law. But it's much harder to see just what path we will follow in heading toward those limits. K. Eric Drexler casedependeasy share on social
Protein engineering is a technology of molecular machines - of molecular machines that are part of replicators - and so it comes from an area that already raises some of the issues that nanotechnology will raise. K. Eric Drexler areaengineerissue share on social
But while doing that I'd been following a variety of fields in science and technology, including the work in molecular biology, genetic engineering, and so forth. K. Eric Drexler biologyengineerfield Change image and share on social
An international race in the relevant technologies is getting under way at this point, not necessarily with an understanding of where that race leads in the long run, but strongly motivated by the short-term payoffs. K. Eric Drexler internationalleadlong share on social
I had been impressed by the fact that biological systems were based on molecular machines and that we were learning to design and build these sorts of things. K. Eric Drexler basebiologicalbuild Change image and share on social
