josh@cs.rutgers.edu (04/20/91)
+---------------------------------------------------------------------+ | The following material is reprinted *with permission* from the | | Foresight Update No 11, 4/15/91. | | Copyright (c) 1991 The Foresight Institute. All rights reserved. | +---------------------------------------------------------------------+ A Choice of Conferences Foresight supporters interested in nanotechnology have a variety of meetings to consider attending this year. Each puts a different emphasis on the topic: * advocacy of speedy development * environmental issues and applications, or * technical approaches. The last is the focus of the Second Foresight Conference on Molecular Nanotechnology, discussed elsewhere in this issue. Space Development Conference The space development community has long been familiar with the concept of nanotechnology: one of the first public talks on the topic was given at the 1982 Space Development Conference. This year's meeting will be held in San Antonio on May 22-27, with the Foresight Institute as a cosponsor. On the afternoon of Saturday, May 25, Foresight president Eric Drexler will speak on the relevance of nanotechnology to the goal of space development. Hardware difficulties have plagued both government and private space efforts; we need materials and vehicles which are both more reliable and less expensive. The best prospect for major advances in these areas is molecular manufacturing. The next day will feature a workshop focusing on the next steps: what those present can do to advance the field. The National Space Society--the primary sponsor of the meeting along with the Southwest Research Institute--is part of a family of pro-space groups, some of which have substantial experience in influencing government policy and spending. (This is part of the reason that NASA's budget is larger than that of the National Science Foundation.) The workshop will explore how this expertise could be used to further nanotechnology R&D, and how the individuals present can help make it happen. In addition to the talk and workshop, we will have a table at which Foresight supporters can gather to share information and make contacts. We are looking for volunteers to staff this table, especially on Sunday morning and afternoon. If you would like to help, please notify the Foresight office. Everyone interested in speeding nanotechnology development is urged to come to the conference and help work out a strategy. All Foresight directors will be attending the weekend segment of the meeting; this is your chance to speak with them and other Foresight supporters. Prior to May 1, registration is only $70 for those affiliated with Foresight; afterward the cost is $80. The student rate is $50. See the Upcoming Events list in this issue for more details. Ecotech The Ecotech conference being held November 14-17 in Monterey, California, will explore ways in which technology can be used to improve the environment. As the conference brochure asks: "How can the resources, creativity, and ingenuity of technology industries by applied to solving the world's most pressing social and environmental problems?" The potential of nanotechnology for clean manufacturing and for repairing damage to the biosphere will be discussed in a talk by Eric Drexler and in a later workshop, along with observations regarding the potential for abuse. The Foresight Institute is a participating organization in Ecotech, along with groups ranging from Computing Professionals for Social Responsibility, Utne Reader, and Econet to Apple Computer and Global Business Network. Since it is they who will eventually implement clean methods of production, attendees from the fields of investment, business, and industry are being targeted, as well as scientists, technologists, and policy makers. Based on the registration fee ($595) we conclude that the meeting is designed for decision makers and professionals in relevant fields, rather than for grassroots environmental activists. (Foresight hopes to sponsor or cosponsor an activist-oriented meeting in the future.) More details on the meeting will be announced as they become available. Meanwhile, mark your calendars if you think thereUs a chance you may be able to attend. But don't wait too long to register: attendance is limited to 450 people, and interest in the meeting is expected to be intense. See the Upcoming Events list in this issue for details. +---------------------------------------------------------------------+ | Copyright (c) 1991 The Foresight Institute. All rights reserved. | | The Foresight Institute is a non-profit organization: Donations | | are tax-deductible in the United States as permitted by law. | | To receive the Update and Background publications in paper form, | | send a donation of twenty-five dollars or more to: | | The Foresight Institute, Department U | | P.O. Box 61058 | | Palo Alto, CA 94306 USA | +---------------------------------------------------------------------+