GREY GOO is dead 鈥� by royal decree. The idea that the world will be reduced to an amorphous mess by an army of self-replicating nanobots belongs 鈥渋n the realms of science fiction鈥�, says Prince Charles, heir to the British throne. Writing in The Independent on Sunday newspaper, he denies that he ever believed the grey goo scenario. Nevertheless, the royal brow is still furrowed over nanotechnology鈥檚 risks.
It would be easy to dismiss the prince鈥檚 concerns: he holds eccentric views. He has enraged doctors by advocating alternative medicines and infuriated the biotech industry by opposing genetically modified foods. Even on nanotechnology, he is extreme: he endorses the notion that nanotechnology could lead to a repeat of the thalidomide disaster.
But his fears over nanoparticles, one branch of nanotech, are not so outlandish. The small scale of these specks endows them with unique properties which, as New 杏吧原创 has argued before, could also be their downfall. Early studies have found that carbon nanoparticles inflame rat lungs and damage fish brains. These particles will spread by wind and water, so where will they end up and how long will they last? The world did not ask these questions of chemicals such as DDT and PCBs. We must not make the same mistake again.
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In May, the reinsurers Swiss Re aired similar worries about nanoparticles. One implication of that report is that companies dealing in nanoparticles could find their insurance premiums loaded. Firms may choose to ignore Prince Charles, but they are unlikely to overlook a threat to their profits.