Warning: Creating default object from empty value in /data/web/virtuals/47278/virtual/www/domains/iknowfutures.org/community/community.iknowfutures.com/engine/lib/elgglib.php on line 1454
Future News - Molecular manufacturing turns into the next industrial revolution

Molecular manufacturing turns into the next industrial revolution

Molecular manufacturing turns into the next industrial revolution

Wild Card's progress: advanced

This Wild Card came from: 
Scientists/researchers

Likelihood timeframe and scenario features : 
now-2050

Wild Card's description 
The old vision of molecular nanotechnology (first introduced by Drexler) materializes. "universal nano-assemblers" or "nanofactories" build objects of practically any arbitrary size and complexity (including copies of themselves) from the molecules up, by using readily-available feedstock molecules (e.g. from garbage) as raw materials. This will mean a new industrial revolution, totally changing manufacturing. All of our material needs are produced at trivial cost, without human labor, and with no waste. Huge economical implications, eliminating scarcity and poverty.