Download Microscopic Ethics By: Matthew Sparks Microscopic Ethics

Microscopic Ethics
By: Matthew Sparks
Microscopic Ethics
Nowadays, most anyone can pick up their cell phone and access phone calls, text
messages, and even the internet. Also, laptops and notebooks are designed to be smaller and
more efficient. Technology over the years has increasingly become smaller and faster, and does
not seem to be slowing down. The processing power of laptops and cell phones seems to
increase doubly every few months, while the size of the devices and the processors themselves
are continually decreasing in size. With this trend of increased processing and decreasing size,
technology has begun to go through extreme new advances, especially in the medical fields.
Machines such as lasers, surgical tools, and x-ray machines have drastically gotten smaller along
with the rest of technology. The medical fields are also taking a turn for smaller and more
powerful technologies. One of the major contenders within this field is the use of
nanotechnology, primarily in the use of nanobots or nanotransistors to be used in our everyday
medical and surgical practices. Though the use of these mediums in medicine could very well
help improve human life, rid humans of some diseases, or even help the longevity of life, there
are many other deleterious effects that could come from the technology; such as certain
technologies “falling into the wrong hands”, the idea of “playing God” with human genetics and
biology, and the increases in power (both mental and physical) that could be attained.
Nanotechnology today is considered by many as just tiny machines used in technology.
It has also been stereotyped in many science fiction movies and television shows, such as in Star
Trek where a machine can replicate food and drink using any molecular materials present. Also,
many movies and television shows have shown cyborgs, or human beings that have been
“upgraded” by nanomachines to be able to have increased strength, intelligence, mechanical
organs, or immune systems. The idea of nanotechnology was first brought forth in 1959 by
Richard P. Feynman, who stated that we could manipulate things as small as atoms and
molecules; we just do not have the ability to do so yet (Lenhert, 2002). While many of these
ideas for the uses of nanotechnology are far off into the future, the basic concept of the machines
are very like the conceptualizations many people and scientists have for the technology.
Therefore, the most recognized definition, by Robert A. Freitas Jr. in his book Nanomedicine
Volume I: Basic Capabilities (1999),
“(1) The comprehensive monitoring, control, construction, repair, defense, and improvement
of all human biological systems, working from the molecular level, using engineered
nanodevices and nanostructures;
(2) The science and technology of diagnosing, treating, and preventing disease and traumatic
injury, of relieving pain, and of preserving and improving human health, using molecular
tools and molecular knowledge of the human body;
(3) The employment of molecular machine systems to address medical problems, using
molecular knowledge to maintain and improve human health at the molecular scale.”
This definition shows that many of the ideas proposed by the shows and movies watched
everywhere today, could actually be a construct of the future. This technology is to work on a
purely molecular level, almost like the big machines we have in the world today, only operating
on things so small that it is almost impossible for someone to realistically do today. This
includes many surgical operations, repairs of organs and tissue, or even solving genetic issues in
some people. The scale on which these machines work is in one “nano”, which is one billionth
of a meter (Davidson, 2005). This would allow thousands, if not millions, of these nanobots to
be inserted into someone’s bloodstream or body as easily as with a regular syringe. Once inside
the body, the nanobots would have their instructions as to where to go and what to do, whether it
is destroying a virus or bacteria, repairing tissue, or any other medicinal issue the patient may
have. Outside of the body, the nanobots can also be used as very small “builders”, actually
constructing materials out of atoms or molecules, and/or rearranging these atoms or molecules
into a desired product. So far, humans have recognized the ideas of nanotechnology as very
viable, and have already started to implement these ideas into working models.
For the medical community, nanotechnology could be a major breakthrough for the field.
These machines could help eradicate the need for such heavy and bulky machines to treat various
illnesses, as well as possibly eliminate or help diagnose other illnesses much more quickly.
Within drugs and pharmaceuticals, nanorobots could be used to deliver drugs more quickly and
efficiently, while targeting the areas that need to be targeted. In one such scenario, a nanorobot
that would act as a white blood cell could be introduced into the bloodstream, effectively killing
off bacteria and viruses. Since these “white blood cells” are machines and have no genetic code,
the bacteria or virus could not develop any kind of immunity to it, causing the nanobots to be
able to eradicate a sickness efficiently. The diagnostic capabilities of medicine would also be
greatly enhanced with the use of nanobots. These robots could be introduced into the body and
take measurements, or even pictures with nanocameras. This data would then be transmitted
back to software with the ability to compile the information to help doctors be better informed
about what is going on with the patient, from the inside. These, in turn, could work with other
nanobots, finding out what is exactly wrong with a patient and actively starting a healing
process. On another hand, they could gather enough information to let the doctors know what
nanobot “drug” to administer to treat the affliction. Many practical solutions to invasive surgery
are also found with the use of nanobots. Already, the medical fields have found ways to
decrease the chances of permanent damage and scarring in surgeries with the use of lasers. But
if nanobots were implemented, they could repair the damaged tissue or organ from within the
body. After being injected into or near the site, the nanobots would find the afflicted area and be
able to heal or repair it without a surgeon ever actually having to touch the patient. This would
dramatically decrease the danger in any medical procedure, either invasive or not. Another
popular idea related to nanotechnology and medicine is gene therapy. Using nanobots, one could
effectively go inside of living cells and exchange or destroy genes with abnormal or deleterious
properties. This could reduce many genetic diseases and even obliterate many fatal
abnormalities. Another idea, one straight from science fiction, would be the ability to augment
one’s own genes to genetically enhance the human body. This could make someone stronger,
faster, smarter, or have any other ability enhanced by the nanotechnology. This transition from
human, to an individual with increased abilities due to genetic enhancements is called
transhumanism. Transhumans therefore, could have incredible healing abilities, along with
living much more lengthy lives than any average human today.
With all of the great sounding advancements that could come from nanotechnology, there
are still some serious drawbacks that could occur from their use. Since this is still a newer
technology and science, there has yet to be much work involving these drawbacks, which could
lead to dire consequences. “So far, there has no extensive knowledge whether or not nanobots
could be toxic to the human body. Some doctors worry that the nanoparticles are so small, that
they could easily cross the blood-brain barrier, a membrane that protects the brain from harmful
chemicals in the bloodstream (Bronsor, & Strickland, 2007).” The nanoparticles that make up
the nanorobots are so incredibly small, the membranes that make up most of the human body
may be passed through; which could lead to problems if one type of nanobot does not need to
enter certain sites of the body. Along with toxic effects, many have discussed the idea of having
self-replicating nanobots. While these nanobots could enter the body and multiply to have as
many needed to control or cure a certain disease, they could also malfunction and begin to
replicate without stop. Essentially, this would make the nanobots out to be a type of virus,
spreading rapidly and “infecting” a person or organism until that organism could no longer
function correctly. This could also lead to a catastrophe called the “gray goo scenario”, in which
self-replicating nanobots grow out of control and effectively destroy or even “devour” a
landscape, or even a person (Davidson, 2005). The malfunctioning nanobots would replicate out
of control until they were somehow shut down, and in the meantime, would be able to destroy
almost anything, depending on their actions and the number of them replicated. Also, gene
therapy, while sounding like a great new cure for many genetic disorders, could also turn in the
wrong direction. While being able to treat and cure diseases, gene therapy used as an aid to
“better” one’s body brings up many other issues as well. Parents could actually “design” their
children in a matter of meaning, giving them their genetic abilities before they are even born.
This could cause many problems in the life of the child, which the child had no decision in
making. Using the nanobots to make one a transhuman could also have extremely bad
foundations, such as, governments beginning to engineer their own types of “super-soldiers”, as
well as bio-terroristic weaponry. The soldiers could be enhanced to withstand much more
punishment in the battlefield, making wars far worse with no one ever backing down. The bioweapons that could also be produced could be a fatal development on a huge scale. A weapon
filled with toxic nanoparticles could be released into an area and end up killing an entire
population, all wildlife and plants, or even both.
As of now, there is still much debate over which areas of nanotechnology are ethical or
not. The use of nanomachines in medicine has not been tested very much as of yet. This leads to
almost too little information to be able to tell patients about the benefits and risks of their use.
Since the toxic effects are not yet known, and the long term effects have yet to be measured,
doctors are unable to effectively tell patients whether or not treatment with nanobots would be
safe or not. Also, the use of the nanobots in diagnostic medicine brings up many issues. For
instance, how much and exactly what information could certain nanobots collect and transmit to
the doctors? And would this information be collected and stored or only sent when needed? The
length of time these nanobots could stay in the patient’s body is also a concern. As far as
surgical use, or organ replacement or treatment, the issue of monetary cost arises. These types of
noninvasive procedures would be very costly, so would only the well-off people in society be
able to afford them, also causing them, in effect, to become superior to those less fortunate? The
idea of gene therapy also rises, in genetic altering of the human body and functions. This is
sometimes looked at as “playing God” (Berger, 2008). Many say we should not play with
genetics, and that should only be left to God to handle. However, with prospects of eliminating
genetic diseases and having more healthy children, it’s hard to say whether or not gene therapy
could be beneficial. Parents being able to alter their children’s DNA is another closely related
issue. Parents that do alter their child’s DNA are also choosing that the DNA of their
grandchildren is essentially altered. So if their children would want to have a child with no
genetic altered abilities, the genes they would pass on would have already been altered, which
would not have been their choice in the first place. The idea of self-replicating nanobots, in any
scenario, is one that has also had much attention. This idea though, has not had much
enthusiasm, making it seem to not be very useful. Although the idea of self-replication can show
benefits, many see this as a more destructive technological advancement than anything. On the
other hand, it would be much more cost effective to have the self-replicating machines, so that
only one or two would have to be produced to initially replicate many thousand more for use.
One area in particular that seems to have a very heated debate is the idea of
transhumanism. Ideally, it seems that using this technology to biomechanically or biogenetically
enhance one’s own body is a great step toward evolution. As many have seen in present day
science fiction, super human strength or speed, or rapid healing seem to be like great ideas for
any human and could possibly make the world a better and safer place. However, the possibility
of this technology going the wrong way is a very insistent problem. Governments creating nanoweapons and super-soldiers could have massive consequences to the world and life as we know
it. Transhumanism could also lead to humans having much longer life spans, which in turn
seems like a good idea, but eventually will lead to mass overpopulation. There is also the idea
that if transhumanism spread correctly, that the world would end up in a world of peace. This
does not seem very feasible either; people with more power than others will more than likely try
to suppress the people that cannot turn to transhumanism, either because of personal views or
monetary standing. This too brings up the thought of humans having what many would call
“God-like” powers. It is argued that humans are made the way they are, perfect in the eyes of
God and need not be changed in any way. However, the prospects of eliminating disease seem
like a great idea, many think that altering the human body biomechanically is not ethical in any
way. Though the obvious benefits of various implants one could attain, they would be changing
themselves into something that is not necessarily human, and this seems entirely unethical to
very many people.
As a result of the arguments pertaining to the ethics of nanotechnology, research has
currently slowed. While still being funded by many government associations, many people
believe that much more research is needed before any more actual field implementation could
begin (Davidson, 2005). So far, there is a big push from many scientists into the technology in
and behind nanotechnology, and still more possible applications are being thought of and tested
day to day. However, with all the negative results that have come from these ideas, it may still
be awhile before any actual applications of the technology are in full use in any field, especially
the medical field.
Bibliography
Berger, M. (2008, January 9). Ethical aspects of nanotechnology in medicine. Retrieved from
http://www.nanowerk.com/spotlight/spotid=3938.php
Bonsor, K., & Strickland, J. (2007). Nanotechnology challenges, risks and ethics. How Nanotechnology
Works, Retrieved from http://science.howstuffworks.com/nanotechnology5.htm
Davidson, Keay. (2005). Big troubles may lurk in super-tiny tech / nanotechnology experts say legal,
ethical issues loom. Chronicle Science Writer, Retrieved from http://articles.sfgate.com/2005-1031/news/17396870_1_foresight-nanotech-institute-nanotechnology-industry-nanomaterials
Freitas Jr., R. A. (1999). Nanomedicine, volume i: basic capabilities. Retrieved from
http://www.nanomedicine.com/NMI.htm
Keating, E. L. (1999). A brief history of nanotechnology. Unpublished raw data, College of Liberal Arts,
University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX. Retrieved from
http://www.utexas.edu/cola/progs/sts/the-nano-future/science/a-brief-history-ofnanotechnology.php
Lenhert, S. (2002). A brief history of nanotechnology. Retrieved from
http://www.nanoword.net/pages/history.htm