Under The Microscope

NANO, by Ed Regis; Bantam Press, 1995 (Transworld); 307pp; $49.95

Reviewed by Peter Hyde

This book is a welcome and lucid introduction to the field of nanotechnology, ideal for those who have not yet encountered it in any detail. Few punches are pulled in outlining the origins, applications and potential impact of a technology which, if fully developed, will supposedly render all existing technology and economics obsolete.

From its characterisation of the field's originator, Eric Drexler (with occasional forelock-tuggings directed at Richard Feynman), to its consideration of the potentially gaiacidal "grey goo" downside of the technology, to a somewhat unsatisfying look at possible post-nano societies, the text maintains a steady and engaging tone and pace.

Clearly partisan, it nevertheless conveys the views of some critics of Drexler-style nanotechnology. Often, though, this is done in a fashion which permits them to be knocked down as at least partially-stuffed straw dummies.

As for the field itself, if you are a believer in Arthur C. Clarke's law about old scientists' pronouncements on new technologies, then nanotechnology must have a rosy (I might say stunning) future. Quotations in the book of some prominent people and their embarrassingly recent declarations about the "impossibility" of gene therapy serve to point up this issue.

Though the full realisation of Drexler's vision is still well within the realm of science fiction, the component pieces are arriving already. Recent achievements noted include artificial proteins and amino acids, molecular (choo-choo) trains, bucky-tubes, mechanical manipulation and construction of individual atoms and molecules, and even artificial atoms.

Were this amateur prognosticator to take a punt, I'd say you are safe from the effects of full-blown nanotech before 2010. As for 2020 -- all bets are off. And if you have concerns about the consequences, try this sobering thought from Drexler: "Good luck stopping it".

Peter Hyde, NZSM