Norton Nanotech Antivirus

There is a paranoid Agent Mulder persona lurking inside me. This paranoid dude sees articles like this and the mind starts playing tricks. For example, when I read Diamond Age, I kept visualizing gray clouds where nanobots warred in the air.

While acknowledging the potential benefits of nanotechnology, the report cautions against presenting it a a solution to every problem, to avoid sparking a backlash. It says that the lack of evidence about the risks it poses has resulted in considerable uncertainty - both in the public, and in the scientific community.

I think nanotechnology is moving more quickly than anticipated. When reports like this come out, it generally means that there are a few scientists that are frightened by what they've seen so far. They like caution; the scientific method is all about caution.

I'm envisioning a world where nanotechnology is very much like our current PC technology. There will be people who monkey around with it at home. There will be nanobots out there that can be used to build applications collectively with other nanobots. That means you'll have the equivalent to the script kiddie, but instead he will take a nanobot used for medical purposes and use it to harm an animal, or work collectively with other nanobots to build synthetic viruses. Imagine having yourself covered in virus-checking nanobots. Considering how inconsistent both McAfee and Norton are, I wouldn't want to rely on a company for my own personal safety.

I try to be optimistic, and I do believe in the best in humanity. But that does not mean that there are not evil, malicious people walking the earth. Terrorists will do anything to further their cause, including using technology. That really scares me. The government has a hard enough time tracking chemical weapons and keeping rogue countries in check with nuclear programs. You cannot spot nanotech development with a satellite.

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