Английский язык: Аннотирование и реферирование текста

286 coauthors, Chris Peterson and Gayle Pergamit, for making this book happen and for clothing the bones of technology in the flesh of human possibilities. K. Eric Drexler Stanford University Chapter 12 Safety , Accidents and Abuse Some truisms: Almost any technology is subject to use, misuse, abuse, and accidents. The more powerful a technology is when properly used, the worse it is likely to be when abused. Any powerful technol- ogy in human hands can be the subject of accidents. Nanotechnology and molecular manufacturing will be no exception. Indeed, if molecular manufacturing replaces modern industry, and if its nanotechnological products replace most modern technologies, then most future accidents will have to involve nanotechnology. Another truism: In a diverse, competitive world, any reasonably- inexpensive technology with enormous commercial, medical, and mili- tary applications will almost surely be developed and used. It is hard to envision a scenario (short of the collapse of civilization) in which nanotechnology will not make its appearance; it seems inevitable. If so, then its problems, however tough, must be dealt with. Like trucks, aircraft, biotechnology, rockets, computers, boots, and warm clothes, nanotechnology has the potential for both peaceful and aggressive uses. In peaceful uses (by definition), harm to people occurs either by accident or as an unintended consequence. In aggres- sive uses, harm is deliberate. In a peaceful context, the proper question to ask is Can fallible people of goodwill , pursuing normal human pur- poses , use nanotechnology in a way that reduces risk and harm to oth- ers ? In an aggressive, military context, the proper question to ask is Can we somehow keep the peace ? Our answer to the first will be a clear yes, and to the second, an apprehensive maybe.