Robert A. Freitas Jr. (born 1952) is an American nanotechnologist.

Early life and education

Freitas was born in Camden, Maine. His father worked in agriculture and his mother was a homemaker. Freitas married Nancy, his childhood sweetheart in 1974.[1]

In 1974, Freitas earned a bachelor's degree in both physics and psychology from Harvey Mudd College, and in 1978, he received a Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree from Santa Clara University School of Law. He has written more than 150 technical papers, book chapters, and popular articles on scientific, engineering, and legal topics.[2]

Career

Freitas interests include nanorobotics,[3] how nanotechnology can extend the life of humans,[4] self-replicating machines,[5] and Cryonics.[1]

Figure 5.29.— proposed demonstration of simple robot self-replication in "Advanced Automation for Space Missions"

In 1980, Freitas and William Gilbreath were participants in a NASA study regarding "Advanced Automation for Space Missions",[6] and they presented the feasibility of self-replicating machines in space, using advanced artificial intelligence and automation technologies.[7][8]

Freitas began writing his Nanomedicine book series in 1994.[9] Volume I, published in October 1999 by Landes Bioscience while Freitas was a Research Fellow at the Institute for Molecular Manufacturing. Volume IIA was published in October 2003 by Landes Bioscience.[10]

In 2004, Freitas and Ralph Merkle coauthored and published Kinematic Self-Replicating Machines, a comprehensive survey of the field of physical and hypothetical self-replicating machines.[11]

In 2009, Freitas was awarded the Feynman Prize[12] in theoretical nanotechnology. Afterwards, he was granted the first patent for a Mechanosynthesis tool which he developed while working at Zyvex. The tool is theoretically to be used in molecular engineering.[13][14]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Wolf, Aschwin de (21 June 2022). "Alcor Member Profile: Robert A. Freitas Jr". Alcor - Life Extension Foundation - Cryonics. Retrieved 11 May 2023.
  2. ↑ Templeton, Graham (May 10, 2017). "'Xenology' by Robert Freitas: the Backstory". Inverse. Retrieved 2020-08-27.
  3. ↑ "Lifeboat Foundation Interview: Robert A. Freitas Jr". Lifeboat Foundation. 4 April 2010. Retrieved 11 May 2023.
  4. ↑ Boeing, Niels (20 April 2006). ""Die Medizin wird digital"". MIT Technology Review (in German). Retrieved 11 May 2023.
  5. ↑ "Interview with Robert Freitas". Nanotech.biz. 18 February 2006. Archived from the original on 13 December 2006. Retrieved 11 May 2023.
  6. ↑ Advanced Automation for Space Missions (PDF). NASA.gov: NASA Scientific and Technical Information Branch. 1982. Retrieved 11 May 2023.
  7. ↑ Freitas, R. A. Jr.; Gilbreath, W. P. (4 September 2013). "Advanced Automation for Space Missions". NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS). Retrieved 11 May 2023.
  8. ↑ "IJCAI'81: Proceedings of the 7th international joint conference on Artificial intelligence - Volume 2". Guide Proceedings. Retrieved 11 May 2023.
  9. ↑ Peterson, Chris (31 January 2000). "Foresight Update 38 Page 2". foresight.org. Archived from the original on 10 May 2021. Retrieved 11 May 2023.
  10. ↑ "Robert A. Freitas Jr, Senior Research Fellow". Institute for Molecular Manufacturing. 22 September 2007. Retrieved 11 May 2023.
  11. ↑ "Book review of Kinematic Self-Replicating Machines by Robert A. Freitas, Jr. and Ralph C. Merkle. Artificial Life Journal. 2006 Winter;12(1):187-188". Retrieved 2017-06-18.
  12. ↑ "Socio/intellectual patterns in nanoscale research: Feynman Nanotechnology Prize laureates, 1993-2007. Social Science Information 2010;49:615-638". Retrieved 2017-06-18.
  13. ↑ "Freitas awarded first mechanosynthesis patent". Foresight Institute. 12 April 2010. Retrieved 11 May 2023.
  14. ↑ Andrew, Alex M. (2000). "NANOMEDICINE, VOLUME 1: BASIC CAPABILITIES, by Robert A. Freitas Jr., Landes Bioscience, Austin, Texas, 1999, xxi + 509 pp., ISBN 1-57059-645-X Index". Robotica. Cambridge University Press (CUP). 18 (6): 687–689. doi:10.1017/s0263574700212824. ISSN 0263-5747.

Bibliography

  • Robert A. Freitas Jr., Nanomedicine, Volume I: Basic Capabilities (Landes Bioscience, 1999) ISBN 1-57059-645-X
  • Robert A. Freitas Jr., Nanomedicine, Vol. IIA: Biocompatibility (Landes Bioscience, 2003) ISBN 1-57059-700-6
  • Robert A. Freitas Jr., Ralph C. Merkle, Kinematic Self-Replicating Machines (Landes Bioscience, 2004) ISBN 1-57059-690-5
  • Robert A. Freitas Jr., Nanomedicine: Biocompatibility (S Karger Pub, 2004) ISBN 3-8055-7722-2
  • Robert A. Freitas Jr., Cryostasis Revival: The Recovery of Cryonics Patients through Nanomedicine (Alcor Life Extension Foundation, 2022) ISBN 978-0-9968153-5-2
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