DNA synthesis and nanotechnology.

The nanoparticles inside Alister were readily absorbed by him because they contained elements of his DNA signature.
The possibility of creating nanoparticles with complex functionality such as interfacing with the human nervous system and able to network wirelessly, powered by the bodies own energy requires the convergence of several different technologies. nanotechnology obviously and manipulation of DNA.
Success in both these fields is progressing faster with each new discovery and innovation.
But convergence is always the rule.
Here we have news of DNA being synthesised and folded into unique nanoscale structures - another step in the  building blocks to complex nanoparticles operating within the nervous system
(Nanowerk News) In the emerging field of synthetic biology, engineers use biological building blocks, such as snippets of DNA, to construct novel technologies. One of the key challenges in the field is finding a way to quickly and economically synthesize the desired DNA strands. Now scientists from Duke University have fabricated a reusable DNA chip that may help address this problem by acting as a template from which multiple batches of DNA building blocks can be photocopied. The researchers have used the device to create strands of DNA which they then folded into unique nanoscale structures.

Add this development to my other blog post  and you begin to get the picture of how the convergence of nanotechnology, DNA creation and genetic manipulation is creating an environment for a revolutionary surge in human evolution.

In the Spring of 2008 Scripps College ran an excellent and inspiring series of events entitled:  Human Evolution 2.0: Biotechnology and the Future of Human Nature (Spring 2008)

Below is the full text from the web page. I recommend you check out the page here 

At the start of the 21st century, we find ourselves on the threshold of a new age in which rapidly converging biosciences and technologies (genomics, genetic engineering, cloning, stem cell research, artificial reproduction, neurotechnologies, artificial intelligence, robotics, information technology, and nanotechnology) have the potential to not only dramatically increase our understanding of human life, but also radically transform human nature itself. At stake in this biotech revolution is not simply the greater control we might gain over our biological limitations (by treating diseases, alleviating pain, slowing the aging process, etc.), but, beyond these therapeutic benefits, what is at stake is the power to determine the future of our species as humans. The potential development of "designer babies," synthetic genes, genetic interventions, augmented cognitive powers, cyborgs, and of all forms of human enhancement technologies raise both hopes and fears. Will these developments make us better humans? Will they inalterably change what it means to be human? Or will they make the very notion of human nature obsolete? To help us consider the promises and risks of emerging biotechnologies, we are inviting scientists, social scientists, legal scholars, bioethicists, and neuroethicists to discuss with us the moral, social, legal, economic and political implications of the new biosciences.
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