Denialism

Stix wrote that for nanotechnology to have any chance whatsoever, we will need to discard nanobots and the idea of reanimating cadavers. Furthermore, venture capitalists such as Lux Capital’s Josh Wolfe warn that the Drexlerean hype surrounding nanotechnology may very well stifle new investment. Scientists were weighed down with a sexy term that they didn’t want.

Stix warned that the overheated rhetoric of Drexler could derail the funding effort and situated Drexler’s views as one of the greatest risk to nanotechnology. If the public expects robots in their bloodstream, they are going to be left largely unimpressed by ultra-fine dust.

While this reinterpretation of nanotechnology may make goals easier to achieve, it goes awry of Drexler’s original vision of molecular manufacturing. Many believe that in order for this technology to move forward the field needs to be de-nanobotted, which inherently involved relegating Drexler to the sidelines.

Roco has been publicly dismissive of molecular manufacturing and nanobots, as has the NanoBusiness Alliance, the foremost business development organization in nanotechnology. Many just don’t want to see nanotechnology derailed by groups who would likely attack nanotechnology just as they have attacked genetically modified organisms.

Denialism, IEEE TECHNOLOGY AND SOCIETY MAGAZINE, WINTER 2004
David Berube is Professor of Communication and Associate Director of the nanoSTS program at the University of South Carolina, Columbia, J.D. Shipman is a law student. Graduate student Glenn Prince was instrumental in the later draft.