Nanogod

A new study out of the University of Wisconsin suggests that the stronger a person’s religious beliefs, the less likely he is to approve of nanotechnology. Researchers looked at survey results from several countries in Europe and North America and found a correlation between what they termed the countries’ “religiosity” and the general acceptance of nanotechnology. On the surface, it doesn’t seem like religion and nanotech have anything to do with each other aside from the tendency of the highly religious to shun anything having to do with science. But one of the scientists involved in the study brought up the fact that religious people may have a problem with the application of nanotechnology in creating artificial life. After all, no one should be creating artificial life but God in his sky laboratory. But another interpretation is that more religious cultures simply don’t have a firm understanding of what nanotechnology is, since the surveys also showed a lack of religious support for genetically modified food, nuclear power, and other technologies. Maybe these people think all nanotech involves Dennis Quaid piloting a tiny submarine through their veins. In which case, how could anyone be against that? More details here.