A few lesser implications of nanofactories: global warming is the least of our problems

Abstract

The parable of the time traveller. Science fiction stories often ask very important questions about our future. In one simple story, a time traveller sits in a bar drinking, and he tells the narrator about a future in which advanced technology cures all diseases, reverses aging, feeds the hungry, saves the environment, provides ample energy for everyone, and brings about world peace. The narrator then asks the time traveller, “If everything turned out so well, then how come you look so depressed and worried? Why are you getting drunk in this two-bit bar?” With deep pain behind his eyes, the time traveller sighs and responds, “Well, now we’ve got real problems.”