[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"$feTlCWpGYDAwEjzIbIIXhgI-W6VMJtD6IHLzHiWU_2M8":3,"$fOEqcvAFhjpAhG0dN4da7Z4a74uEgy-k6boqU-0gTm2s":12},{"author":4,"tags":11},{"author_id":5,"author_name":6,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"bio":9,"short_bio":9,"slug":10,"image_url":9},131761,"K. Eric Drexler","K",35,null,"k-eric-drexler",[],{"quotes":13,"pagination":88},[14,22,29,35,41,47,53,59,65,77],{"id":15,"quote_text":16,"author_id":5,"source_id":17,"has_image":18,"author":19,"source":20,"quote_tag":21,"commentary":9},3179901,"It’s a lot easier to see, at least in some cases, what the long-term limits of the possible will be, because they depend on natural law. But it’s much harder to see just what path we will follow in heading toward those limits.",6,false,{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],{"id":23,"quote_text":24,"author_id":5,"source_id":17,"has_image":18,"author":25,"source":26,"quote_tag":27,"commentary":28},3179898,"The basic parts, the start-up molecules, can be supplied in abundance and don’t have to be made by some elaborate process. That immediately makes things simpler.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],"**The Backstory**\nK. Eric Drexler, a renowned nanotechnology pioneer, likely penned these words in the late 1980s or early 1990s, a time when he was actively developing the field of molecular nanotechnology. Drexler's work was focused on the potential of assemblers, tiny machines that could manipulate and construct molecular-scale structures, which would revolutionize various industries. This quote may have been from his seminal book, \"Engines of Creation: The Coming Era of Nanotechnology,\" which aimed to popularize the concept of molecular nanotechnology and its implications.\n\n**The Hidden Insight**\nThe hidden insight in this quote lies in its acknowledgment of the paradox between complexity and simplicity. On the surface, Drexler's statement seems to suggest that the basic components of a system are easily accessible and don't require complex processes. However, this simplicity belies the intricate and nuanced relationships between these components, which can still give rise to complex emergent behavior. In other words, the simplicity of the start-up molecules is not a guarantee of simplicity in the overall system.\n\n**How to Use This**\nWhen approaching a complex problem, consider the interplay between the basic components and the emergent behavior that arises from their interactions. Focus on understanding the relationships between these components, rather than just the individual parts, to uncover the hidden patterns and potential for innovation. By doing so, you can simplify the overall system by identifying the most critical connections and leveraging them to achieve your goals.",{"id":30,"quote_text":31,"author_id":5,"source_id":17,"has_image":18,"author":32,"source":33,"quote_tag":34,"commentary":9},3179894,"I’ve encountered a lot of people who sound like critics but very few who have substantive criticisms. There is a lot of skepticism, but it seems to be more a matter of inertia than it is of people having some real reason for thinking something else.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],{"id":36,"quote_text":37,"author_id":5,"source_id":17,"has_image":18,"author":38,"source":39,"quote_tag":40,"commentary":9},3179893,"On the molecular scale, you find it’s reasonable to have a machine that does a million steps per second, a mechanical system that works at computer speeds.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],{"id":42,"quote_text":43,"author_id":5,"source_id":17,"has_image":18,"author":44,"source":45,"quote_tag":46,"commentary":9},3179877,"But if we can manage it so people don’t have things forced on them that they don’t want, I think there’s every reason to believe things can settle out in a situation that is recognizably better than the one we’re stuck in today.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],{"id":48,"quote_text":49,"author_id":5,"source_id":17,"has_image":18,"author":50,"source":51,"quote_tag":52,"commentary":9},3179857,"Protein engineering is a technology of molecular machines – of molecular machines that are part of replicators – and so it comes from an area that already raises some of the issues that nanotechnology will raise.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],{"id":54,"quote_text":55,"author_id":5,"source_id":17,"has_image":18,"author":56,"source":57,"quote_tag":58,"commentary":9},3179834,"And that because the moving parts are a million times smaller than the ones we’re familiar with, they move a million times faster, just as a smaller tuning fork produces a higher pitch than a large one.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],{"id":60,"quote_text":61,"author_id":5,"source_id":17,"has_image":18,"author":62,"source":63,"quote_tag":64,"commentary":9},3179820,"In thinking about nanotechnology today, what’s most important is understanding where it leads, what nanotechnology will look like after we reach the assembler breakthrough.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],{"id":66,"quote_text":67,"author_id":5,"source_id":68,"has_image":18,"author":69,"source":70,"quote_tag":71,"commentary":9},1338161,"...Local prohibitions cannot block advances in military and commercial technology... Democratic movements for local restraint can only restrain the world's democracies, not the world as a whole.",4,{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[72],{"id":73,"tag":74},4335317,{"id":75,"tag_name":76},8303,"military",{"id":78,"quote_text":79,"author_id":5,"source_id":68,"has_image":18,"author":80,"source":81,"quote_tag":82,"commentary":9},1338159,"In a sense, artificial intelligence will be the ultimate tool because it will help us build all possible tools.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[83],{"id":84,"tag":85},4335316,{"id":86,"tag_name":87},5702,"helping",{"currentPage":89,"totalPages":68,"totalItems":8,"itemsPerPage":90},1,10]