Radical Abundance

July 8, 2013
The intriguing assertion that "the advent of a revolution in nanotechnology will...transform our world, and not in a small way" may at first resemble the old alchemical quest to turn lead into gold. For Drexler (Engines of Creation), the move to "atomically precise manufacturing" (APM) is closer than we know. Using nanotechnology "as a kind of printer that builds objects out of patterns of atoms," APM paves the way toward an "unprecedented abundance" of consumer goods, water and agriculture, advances in medicine, and solutions to most environmental crises. Is it too good to be true? Drexler does not try to paint a utopian future, instead his purpose is to "encourage inquiry, thought, and conversations that lead to a more realistic, coherent view of our future". Drexler is aware of the layperson's position of ignorance and he writes comprehensively about the problems between scientific and engineering approaches, the myths of nanotechnology that have hindered its development, and he even offers a history on how the "APM Revolution" coincides with the Neolithic, industrial, and informational revolutions. As a primer into the science and engineering behind APM and "nanoscience", Drexler offers an engaging way to enter that conversation.