Folks at the Foresight Institute can take heart that at least the American Chemical Society (ACS) is promoting the idea that nanobots and nanoassemblers are how nanotechnology will have its big impact.
Or so it is presented on the ACS’ new website called Bytesize Science and this new video:
The video is fascinating because it manages to move from nanobots and nanofactories to discussions of nanomaterials and buckyballs so seamlessly you would almost think there was no distinction between the two.
From what I gather this Bytesize Science is supposed to be targeting the future chemists of the world by making science fun. I am not sure that incomprehensible goop is really the way to do it, but I’ve never tried to teach children about nanotechnology.
The ACS has an august history with great scientists of history and today among its members. I would be surprised if some of them wouldn’t be a little surprised that the ACS(S) now stood for American Computer Simulation Society.
Dexter Johnson is a contributing editor at IEEE Spectrum, with a focus on nanotechnology.
