Foresight Institute

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This article is about the nanotechnology policy organization. For the similar-
sounding craniofacial research institute, see The Forsyth Institute.
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The Foresight Institute (Foresight) is a San Francisco-based research
non-profit that promotes the development of nanotechnology and other
emerging technologies, such as safe AGI, biotech and longevity.[1][2][3]
Foresight runs four cross-disciplinary program tracks to research, advance,
and govern maturing technologies for the long-term benefit of life and the
biosphere: Molecular machine nanotechnology for building better materials,
biotechnology for health extension, and computer science and crypto
commerce for intelligent global cooperation.[4]
Foresight also runs a program on "Existential hope", pushing forward the
concept coined by Toby Ord and Owen Cotton-Barrett) in their 2015 paper
"Existential risk and Existential hope: Definitions: “[...]we want to be able to
refer to the chance of an existential eucatastrophe; upside risk on a large
scale. We could call such a chance an existential hope. [...] Some people
are trying to identify and avert specific threats to our future – reducing
existential risk. Others are trying to steer us towards a world where we are
robustly well-prepared to face whatever obstacles come – they are seeking
to increase existential hope.” [5][6][7][8]
Foresight’s stated strategy is to focus on creating a community to promote
beneficial uses of new technologies and reduce misuse and accidents
potentially associated with them.[9]
Foresight runs a one-year Fellowship program aimed at giving researchers
and innovators the support and mentorship to accelerate their projects
while they continue to work in their existing career.[10][11]
Since 2021 Foresight hosts a podcast about grand futures called "The
Foresight Institute Podcast" and share all their material as open source via
YouTube with lectures from scientists and other relevant actors within their
fields of interest.[12]
Foresight hosts a yearly conference called Vision Weekend focusing on
envisioning positive long-term futures.[13] The institute holds conferences
on molecular nanotechnology and awards yearly prizes for developments in
the field.[14][15] Since 2021 they also host a podcast about grand futures
called "The Foresight Institute Podcast" and share all their material as open
source via YouTube with lectures from scientists and other relevant actors
within their fields of interest.[16][9]
In an article from 1999, The Foresight Institute and its founder Eric Drexler
have been criticized for unrealistic expectations on nanotechnology,
ignoring quantum effects in their design, lack of practical output, and
technical obsolescence.[17]
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 External linksHistory[edit]
The Foresight Institute was founded in 1986 by Christine Peterson,[14] K.
Eric Drexler, and James C. Bennett to support the development of
nanotechnology. Many of the institute's initial members came to it from the
L5 Society, who were hoping to form a smaller group more focused on
nanotechnology.[18] In 1991, the Foresight Institute created two
suborganizations with funding from tech entrepreneur Mitch Kapor; the
Institute for Molecular Manufacturing and the Center for Constitutional
Issues in Technology.[18] In the 1990s, the Foresight Institute launched
several initiatives to provide funding to developers of nanotechnology.[19] In
1993, it created the Feynman Prize in Nanotechnology, named after
physicist Richard Feynman.[20] In May 2005, the Foresight Institute
changed its name to "Foresight Nanotech Institute",[15] though it reverted to
its original name in June 2009.
In 2020, following the COVID-19 pandemic, the institute moved its
programs online.
Prizes[edit]
Main article: Foresight Institute Feynman Prize in Nanotechnology
The Feynman Prize in Nanotechnology is an award given by the Foresight
Institute for significant advances in nanotechnology. Between 1993 and
1997, one prize was given biennially. Since 1997, two prizes have been
given each year, divided into the categories of theory and experimentation.
[21][22][23][24]
The prize is named in honor of physicist Richard Feynman,
whose 1959 talk "There's Plenty of Room at the Bottom" is considered to
have inspired and informed the start of the field of nanotechnology.[21]
Author Colin Milburn refers to the prize as an example of "fetishizing" its
namesake Feynman, due to his "prestige as a scientist and his fame
among the broader public."[15]
The Foresight Institute also offers the Feynman Grand Prize, a $250,000
award to the first persons to create both a nanoscale robotic arm capable
of precise positional control and a nanoscale 8-bit adder, with both
conditions conforming to given specifications. The Feynman Grand Prize is
intended to emulate historical prizes such as the Longitude prize, Orteig
Prize, Kremer prize, Ansari X Prize, and two prizes that were offered by
Richard Feynman personally as challenges during his 1959 There's Plenty
of Room at the Bottom" talk.[25][26][27] In 2004, X-Prize Foundation founder
Peter Diamandis was selected to chair the Feynman Grand Prize
committee.[25]
See also[edit]
• Center on Nanotechnology and Society
• Nanomedicine
• Transhumanism
References[edit]
1 ^ Guston, David H. (2010). Encyclopedia of nanoscience and society.
London: SAGE. p. 253. ISBN 978-1452266176. Retrieved 13 July 2017.
2 ^ https://foresight.org/biotech-health-extension-program/
3 ^ https://foresight.org/intelligent-cooperation/
4 ^ https://foresight.org/podcast/
5 ^ https://foresight.org/existential-hope/
6 ^ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v924nohhYac
7 ^ https://www.fhi.ox.ac.uk/Existential-risk-and-existential-hope.pdf
8 ^ https://qz.com/1289425/existential-hope-is-the-website-the-world-needs/
9 ^ Jump up to:
a b https://foresight-institute.prowly.com/144622-foresight-institute-launches-

podcast-on-technology-and-science-for-long-term-flourishing-futures
10 ^ https://foresight.org/about-us/senior-research-fellows/
11 ^ https://www.benzinga.com/pressreleases/20/12/n18663072/foresight-
institute-is-accelerating-high-risk-high-rewards-projects-to-heal-the-planet
12 ^ https://theforesightinstitutepodcast.buzzsprout.com
13 ^ http://www.softmachines.org/wordpress/?p=171
14 ^ Jump up to:
a b Oliver, By Richard W. (2003). The biotech age: the business of biotech

and how to profit from it (2nd ed., rev. ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill. p. 86.
ISBN 978-0071414890. Retrieved 13 July 2017.
15 ^ Jump up to:
a b c Milburn, Colin (2008). Nanovision: Engineering the future. Durham,

N.C.: Duke University Press. ISBN 978-0822391487.

16 ^ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCg5UVUMqXeCQ03MelT_RXMg
17 ^ Byrne (December 8, 1999). "Sidebar: Looking at Foresight". SF Weekly.
Retrieved 14 December 2016.
18 ^ Jump up to:
a b McCray, W. Patrick (2012). The visioneers: how a group of elite scientists

pursued space colonies, nanotechnologies, and a limitless future. Princeton:

Princeton University Press. ISBN 978-0691139838.
19 ^ Berube, David M. (2009-12-04). Nano-Hype: The Truth Behind the
 Nanotechnology Buzz. Prometheus Books. ISBN 9781615922369.
20 ^ Marcovich, Anne; Shinn, Terry (2014). Toward a New Dimension: Exploring
the Nanoscale. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0198714613.
21 ^ Jump up to:
a b Marcovich, Anne; Shinn, Terry (December 1, 2010). "Socio/intellectual

patterns in nanoscale research: Feynman Nanotechnology Prize laureates,

1993–2007". Social Science Information. 49 (4): 615–638.
doi:10.1177/0539018410377581. S2CID 145573876.
22 ^ Feynman Prize: Dr Amanda Barnard, ABC (Australia), 2015-04-30,
retrieved 2018-05-12
23 ^ Finkel, Elizabeth (2016-09-26). "Michelle Simmons: a quantum queen".
Cosmos Magazine. Retrieved 2018-05-08.
24 ^ Heinze, Thomas; Shapira, Philip; Senker, Jacqueline; Kuhlmann, Stefan
(2007-01-01). "Identifying creative research accomplishments: Methodology
and results for nanotechnology and human genetics" (PDF). Scientometrics.
70 (1): 125–152. doi:10.1007/s11192-007-0108-6. hdl:10419/28525.
ISSN 0138-9130. S2CID 10150814.
25 ^ Jump up to:
a b "Diamandis to chair Feynman Grand Prize committee | Solid State

Technology". electroiq.com. Retrieved 2018-05-01.

26 ^ Nicolau, D.E.; Phillimore, J.; Cross, R.; Nicolau, D.V (July 2000).
"Nanotechnology at the crossroads: the hard or the soft way?".
Microelectronics Journal. 31 (7): 611–616. doi:10.1016/
s0026-2692(00)00036-7. ISSN 0026-2692.
27 ^ Davidian, Ken (2005). "Prize Competitions and NASA's Centennial
Challenges Program" (PDF). International Lunar Conference. Retrieved
2018-05-18.
Further reading[edit]
• Smith, Richard Hewlett. "A Policy Framework for Developing a
National Nanotechnology Program", Master of Science thesis,
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 1998, available at
VTechWorks
External links[edit]
• Official website
show
• vte
Molecular nanotechnology
 show
• vte
Transhumanism
Author
ity
control • Microsoft Academic