X-Message-Number: 4315
Date: Sat, 29 Apr 1995 14:51:19 -0400
From: "Keith F. Lynch" <>
Subject: Runaway nanotech

 (arkady elgort) writes:
> Looks like 10 to the power of 15 devices in the human body. What about
> possibility (inevitable, in my opinion) of malfunction?

Not all cells are necessary for good health.  If a trillion of those
ten-to-the-fifteenth devices malfunction in such a way as to completely
destroy its cell, it would be harmless, as that's only one thousandth
of one's cells.

It should be impossible for the nanodevices to reproduce out of control
inside a person's body, because there's no reason to insert nanodevices
that are capable of reproduction into a person's body, any more than the
machinery capable of building cars is usually found being driven along
the highway.

If a nanodevice damages a cell in such a way as to turn it into a
malignant cancer cell which will reproduce out of control, that
shouldn't be a problem, since the majority of nanodevices will work
correctly, and will destroy any cancer cells they find, thus quickly
curing the cancer.


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