Nanoconvergence: The Unity of Nanoscience, Biotechnology, Information Technology and Cognitive Science

This is the eBook version of the printed book. If the print book includes a CD-ROM, this content is not included within the eBook version. "William Bainbridge is an original thinker who navigates easily from social sciences to emerging technologies and societal aspirations. In this book, he brings to the reader all that is essential in the historic and rapid change toward science and technology convergence." —Mihail C. Roco, Ph.D., original chairman of the U.S. National Science and Technology Council's subcommittee on Nanoscale Science, Engineering and Technology, key architect of the National Nanotechnology Initiative, and currently senior advisor for Nanotechnology at the National Science Foundation "This book provides a sweeping, yet intimate, overview of an important, emerging area of science and technology—nanotechnology and its convergence with other areas of science and engineering. In Nanoconvergence we are provided with a view of these developments as seen through the lens of the world of William Sims Bainbridge, a visionary scientist and scholar, who has helped to frame and nurture nanoconvergence. His personal history and interests are endlessly fascinating, and include science fiction, space flight, religious cults, videogames, and a host of other areas and topics. His knowledge is extraordinary and includes expertise in the field of nanotechnology and related sciences, including biology, cognitive, behavioral and social science, and information technology. Further, he knows many of the players, including some who were mentors, others who are colleagues, and others whose funding he supervised. The strength of this book is the strength of Bainbridge's extensive, connected network, rooted in scientific, technological, and societal concerns. It is rare to find someone who brings to the table such breadth and depth of knowledge, spanning so many of the sciences, from physics through cognition. Bainbridge is a Renaissance man who is helping to both create and elucidate the potential future worlds that confront us. Ultimately, he is a visionary who is building a roadmap for a future that we can all help to shape. He is to be commended for sharing both this map and his journey with us." —Philip Rubin, Ph.D., CEO, Haskins Laboratories "In a world of increasing specialization, Bainbridge offers a refreshing alternative perspective of the way nanoconvergence will help unify disparate areas of knowledge and fuel a next generation of innovation. The integration of historical and forward-looking insights, firmly grounded in the people and projects of the present, made this an enjoyable read. With Nanoconvergence, Bainbridge joins the ranks of the few authors who have succeeded in integrating insights from far flung fields of science and technology into a compelling human story." —James C. Spohrer, Ph.D, Director, Services Research and Innovation Champion, IBM Almaden Research Center The Next Scientific and Technological Revolution, and What It Will Mean to You Explains the core principles and tools that are increasingly driving scientific and technical progress Previews today's rapidly converging revolutions in cognitive science: from psychology to linguistics, artificial intelligence to anthropology Tours the shifting border between nanotechnology and biotechnology Nanoconvergence is the coming unification of all significant technologies based on control of structures at the nanoscale. As biotechnology, information technology, cognitive science, physics, chemistry, and material science come together, their power will increase exponentially. This book is the first authoritative but easy-to-understand guide to the coming nanoconvergence revolution—and how it may reshape your life. In Nanoconvergence, William Sims Bainbridge tours the future of science and technology in plain, nontechnical English. Bainbridge draws on an extraordinary breadth and depth of knowledge, based on his unique role at the epicenter of the nanoconvergence revolution. He successfully integrates insights from far-reaching scientific fields into a compelling human story—offering powerful insights you can use to plan your career, seek new investment opportunities, or simply understand what's coming next. Discover new breakthroughs in measuring, manipulating, and organizing matter at the nanoscale and the implications of those advances See why science fiction's view of nanotechnology is wrong and why the truth is even more exciting Preview new technologies built on the principles of cognitive science and enabled by nanotechnology Learn how nanotechnology may save Moore's Law, allowing computers to double in power every year for the next two decades Discover why nanoconvergence may spark a renaissance in the social sciences Examine the potential impact of scientific and technological convergence on human society and diversity

Table of Contents:
Preface  xiii About the Author   xix Chapter 1 Convergence at the Nanoscale  1 The Meaning of "Nano"  1 Nanotechnology and Scientific Progress  4 Technological Convergence  9 Application Areas  15 Radical Transformations  17 The Plan of This Book  19 References  22 Chapter 2 Visions and Illusions  25 Imagination and Impossibility  25 Birds Can't Fly to the Moon  26 Cold Facts  28 Science Fiction  29 Drexler's Vision  35 Alchemy at the Nanoscale  42 Nanopanic  44 Conclusion  46 References  47 Chapter 3 Information Technology  51 Moore's Law  51 Sensors  58 Quantum Computing  60 The Information Technology Research Initiative  63 Grand Information Technology Challenges  68 Conclusion  74 References  76 Chapter 4 Biotechnology  81 Nanotechnology from the Perspective of Biology  81 Nano-Bio Convergence  83 The Problem of Cancer  87 Paths to Nano-Bio Innovation  89 Agriculture and the Environment  92 Evolutionary Methods: Computing and Culture  95 Improving Human Performance  103 Conclusion  106 References  107 Chapter 5 Cognitive Technology  113 The Two Faces of Cognitive Science  113 Cognitive Convergence  117 The Prehistory of Cognitive Technologies   124 Neurotechnology  128 The Communicator  133 Conclusion  136 References  137 Chapter 6 Unification of Science  143 Creating Convergers  143 Eight Principles for Convergence  149 Conservation  150 Indecision  151 Configuration  152 Interaction  153 Variation   153 Evolution   154 Information  155 Cognition  155 Ethical Principles   156 Social Relations   159 Behavioral Social Science  163 Conclusion   168 References  169 Chapter 7 Unity in Diversity  175 Critics of Convergence  175 Looking Forward    180 Family and Reproduction   181 Culture and Personality  183 Societal Institutions   186 Science, Health, and Environment  188 How Will the World Be Governed?  189 A New Science of Services   195 Conclusion  200 References  201 Chapter 8 The Final Frontier  207 The Giant Leap  207 The Realities of Interplanetary Travel  211 The Solar System   215 Personality Transfer  222 What Is to Be Done?   228 Conclusion   231 References  232 Index   239

About the Author :
William Sims Bainbridge is one of the leading scientists exploring and popularizing the emerging field of nanoconvergence. He is the author of seventeen books and more than 200 articles in areas ranging from information science to the sociology of religion. He has been at the National Science Foundation since 1992, and currently codirects its program in Human-Centered Computing. He holds a Ph.D. from Harvard University.