The impact of nanotechnology on the church

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The impact of nanotechnology on the church

Posted by Justin Long ⋅ April 1, 1999 ⋅

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Nanotechnology deals with the manipulation of material at the atomic level. It is mainly concerned with construction, but it has wide ranging implications for computers and technology. One example of the potential usage of nanotechnology is to deploy a ‘nanofactory’ which could build a church building out of a large mound of dirt, rocks, water, unprocessed metal and some chunks of lumber. Another application might be the creation of a food product (like milk) out of, for example, grass, dirt and water.

The technology promises to make an impact on our world that is hard to comprehend at this time. It may very well solve some of our food and housing shortages, but it could also have a dramatic impact on the world’s economy by putting tens of millions of people out of work (much as other technological advancements have).

Some have gone so far as to suggest nanotechnologies may completely eradicate the current economic system. What is more likely is a sweeping global change in the economy which can move nearly everyone from industry to information-provision. People would no longer sell constructed items, and would instead offering plans and blueprints for sale. Hand made items themselves would become something of an extremely rich luxury.

Nanotechnology could also be used for medical purposes. Small nanorobots could sweep through our blood vessels, cleaning out cancers, fixing genetic problems, or enhancing our bodies. Nanorobots could also be the deployment vehicles for genetic changes made possible through biotechnology.

However, nanotechnologies have darker sides. The shades of darkness can be seen in the Borg of Star Trek fame. The technology could be used to develop superweapons capable of dismantling whole armies—or cities. If humanity lost control, such weapons could destroy not only cities, but nations and the world itself.

Aside from the general global impact of nanotechnology, however, it is difficult to see whether this technology will make a marked impact on the church. Unlike biotechnology, which directly addresses the issue of life itself, nanotechnologies are more concerned with the construction of the physical world around us.

· Churches could use nanofactories to build church buildings. This will be applicable mainly in the West, but could be a good way of building church structures in the developing world.

· Christian relief industries could use nanotechnologies to help repair or rebuild after natural disasters. (This kind of application is probably not likely before 2025).

· Christian medical teams could use nanotechnologies to help people with medical problems (again, not likely before 2025, or perhaps 2050). In the future medicines and pre-programmed medical treatments may be deployed through small packages of nanorobots sold over-the-counter like today’s medicines.

· Radical terrorists may utilize nanoweapons in terrorist attacks against Christian infrastructure (churches, corporate headquarters, etc). This is probably less likely in the short-term and even mid-term future since nanoweapons will likely continue to be more expensive than biotech and chemical weapons.

· The church will probably have to begin addressing the issue of nanotechnologies as the new weapon of mass destruction—capable of far more destruction than nuclear weapons, but destruction that is easily recoverable. A nanotech weapon, for example, could be programmed to seek out and destroy nuclear reactors or chemical weapons.

How close are these technologies to being deployed? Initial experimentation in nanotechnologies has already begun. Significant strides have been made. For example, the basic building blocks for machines—gears, etc.—have been constructed at the nano level. Microchips are presently constructed at the 0.25 micron level; once they reach the 0.1 level (which they may in the next 5 years) it would represent nanotechnological construction. However, widescale deployment of nanotech applications at the experimental level is, at a minimum, a decade away; wide-scale national or global deployment of practical technologies based on nanotechnology is likely 25 to 50 years off.