President Bush Signed the Nanotechnology Research and Development Act s189 in Dec., 2004 authorizing funding for nanotechnology research and development over four years and implementation of a National Nanotechnology Program. The President’s 2007 Budget provides over $1.2 billion for the multi-agency National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI). The hope is that the research will channel towards medical and energy projects.
It can also lead to the mass production of weapons with terrible consequences. Federal agencies that participate in the National Nanotechnology Initiative under the auspices of the Nanoscale Science, Engineering and Technology (NSET) Subcommittee of the National Science and Technology Council include Department of Homeland Security ( includes Transportation Security Administration ), Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the Department of Defense.
At an address at the 1995 Foresight Conference on Molecular Nanotechnology, Admiral David E. Jeremiah, Vice-Chairman (ret.), U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, said: “Military applications of molecular manufacturing have even greater potential than nuclear weapons to radically change the balance of power.”
A Nano, by definition is a Billionth (10 to the -9th power) (0.000 000 001), a small insect is about 200 microns (10 to the –6th power) ( 0.000 001).
“…this creates a plausible size estimate for a nanotech-built antipersonnel weapon capable of seeking and injecting toxin into unprotected humans. The human lethal dose of botulism toxin is about 100 nanograms, or about 1/100 the volume of the weapon. As many as 50 billion toxin-carrying devices—theoretically enough to kill every human on earth—could be packed into a single suitcase. Guns of all sizes would be far more powerful, and their bullets could be self-guided. Aerospace hardware would be far lighter and higher performance; built with minimal or no metal, it would be much harder to spot on radar. Embedded computers would allow remote activation of any weapon, and more compact power handling would allow greatly improved robotics. These ideas barely scratch the surface of what’s possible.” CRN (Center for Responsible Nanotechnology)
“The future cannot be predicted, but it can be invented.
-Hungarian scientist and author Dennis Gabor
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