A cross-posted article called “Super-Empowered Hopeful Individuals” [1][3] and “Empowering Hope” [2] references a post by fellow D5GW blogger Arherring. Here is an excerpt:
A leading fear for those of us looking at the longer-term implications of molecular manufacturing is the technology’s capacity to give small groups — or even individuals — enormous destructive capacity. This isn’t unique to advanced nanotechnology; similar worries swirl around all manner of catalytic technologies. In fact, some analysts consider this a problem we currently face, and give it the forbidding label of “super-empowered angry individuals.”
As a parallel, the core of the “super-empowered hopeful individual” (SEHI) argument is that these technologies may also enable individuals or small groups to carry out socially beneficial actions at a scale that would have required the resources of a large NGO or business in decades past. They would rebuild towns or villages after a natural disaster, or provide health care to refugees; they would clean up environmental toxins, or build renewable energy systems. The Millennium Development Goals would be their checklist. They would carry out the kinds of projects that humanitarian organizations do today, but be able to do so with smaller numbers, greater speed, and a far larger impact.
To an extent, these are tasks we might expect governments, NGOs or businesses would seek to accomplish, and they’d be welcome to do so. But catalytic technologies like molecular manufacturing could so enhance the capabilities of individuals that, just as we have to account for SEAIs in our nano-era policies and strategies, we should pay attention to the beneficial role SEHIs could play. They change the structure of the game.
I would call the 5GW practice of the happy/hopeful SEI’s as a possible instance of the Socio-Political Entrepreneurship Style of 5GW.
Keep in mind 5GW is not the only option open to SEIs. Also, 5GW actors don’t have to be SEIs.
[1] http://www.openthefuture.com/2008/03/superempowered_hopeful_individ.html
[2] http://crnano.typepad.com/crnblog/2008/03/empowering-hope.html
[3] http://www.nanotech-now.com/columns/?article=181
[5] http://dreaming5gw.com/2007/08/architects_of_the_future_the_s.php
P.S. Yeah, I am trying out TDAXP’s footnoting style
Posted by
1 Comments
Of course, right after I posted this, I saw that Arherring had commented at on of the links. That’s what I get for sitting on this post.