Further Thoughts on Nanotechnology and Government

Neal Stephenson describes a form of torture based on nanotechnology in The Diamond Age where they attach nanites to the nerves in the spine. The idea is that they trigger these nerves, causing, among other sensations, incredible pain. This idea has sunk into my mind finally, and so I am terrified. Those who have read Heinlein’s Methuselah’s Children remember that the government suspends their constitution so that they can imprison the Howard Families, and obtain the secret of long life from them; no one believed the Howard Family explanation that their long lives were the result of a breeding experiment funded by the Howard Foundation. The motivations and thinking that Heinlein gives to those who are at the forefront of the insanity are plausible enough to make it clear that this could happen in America, at any time. This, taken with the possibility of nanotechnological torture, makes it very clear to me that we must begin minimizing the powers of governments around the world before such technology becomes possible.

Genetics or Nanotechnology?

I just realized that there is another divide between my Co-Blogger and I. You may know that he is a conservative, and I a libertarian. What is only now apparent is that he prefers the genetics approach to transhumanism, where I prefer the nanotechnology approach to transhumanism. This might lead to some interesting discussions.

Nanotech, Cyborgs, Government.

The books I read often set my thoughts for several weeks after I have finished. I recently read both The Diamond Age by Neal Stephenson, and Methuselah’s Children by Robert Heinlein. Both very good books. Since then, I have been thinking mainly about cyborgs that are based on nanites in the body, and what would happen in a society that had those people who went that route. A nanite based cyborg would probably be capable of many potentially destructive things (the most compelling reason I found to add nanites to my system was so that I could construct things directly with materials at hand), and, if a such a cyborg decided to start destroying things, would be likely difficult to stop. My realization was that no society can survive if it does not hold the non aggression principle as a moral absolute, and nanite based cyborgs would only speed up the self-destruction. In a society that does hold the NAP as a moral absolute, any reasonable nanite based cyborg (which I will probably call an NBC so I don’t have to type that out again) would work to bring down a NBC violating the NAP. This would probably not work so well in a system where a single entity held monopoly over use of force, meaning governments can only make NBCs dangerous. Oh.