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 A BRIEF HISTORY of Eric Drexler, champion of
molecular nanotechnology and erstwhile pariah of orthodox science.
The book charts the growth of Drexler's vision of engineering at the molecular level against a backdrop of almost universal derision from the
scientific community. Drexler's arrogant manner and an evident contempt for orthodox chemistry has done little to endear him to the scientific mainstream, whilst his decision to publish popular
accounts of his ideas before testing their rigour in scientific journals has led many to dismiss them as science fiction.
Like Charles Darwin, Drexler dithered over publication of his ideas for
many years until the threat of pre-emption tipped his hand. Whilst his early books were dismissed as eccentric pseudo-science and criticised for their lack of specifics, Drexler's dazzingly technical doctoral
thesis made many sit up and take notice. Those chemists who bothered to read it (some refused on principle) found it unimpeachable, and most contemporary criticism is based on the view that 'okay, that might work
but how do you build it?'
The book paints a sympathetic picture of Drexler's crusade, but it's not a science book. It's an entertaining and easy read, but apart from
some appetite-whetting for the nanotech neophytes it is interesting mainly as an account of the politics of scientific paradigm-shifts. Drexler is a latter-day heretic and only time will tell if his ideas
hold water. If you want to read about them in detail you need his own 'Engines of Creation', or, if you have a head for heights, 'Nanosystems: Molecular Machinery, Manufacturing and Computation' (his
doctoral thesis, published by John Wiley).
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