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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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