SCIENCE - Regulation of Nanotechnology

I've just finished reading a set of articles from various online publications on the issue of Nanotechnology and regulation of that growing industry.

What concerns me is that the writers of the articles seemed to not comprehend the full scope of Nanotechnology and its potential.

Nanotechnology is not just "the manipulation of matter at the molecular level," which is what every one of the articles stated.

Yes, Nanotechnology does use manipulation of matter at the molecular level, but that is not what it is. The technology is making molecular "machines" to do different jobs. This also includes, and here is the real danger, self-replicating nano machines.

Of course, this growing industry is already against government regulation. But consider a kindred industry, the Drug Industry. Think of all the problems that have come to light after the FDA allowed a drug to be released to the public in the past few years.

Now the new Nanotech Industry wants no, or little, regulation?!! For a technology that actually includes self-replication, like a virus?!!!

The potential danger to the public without stringent checks (regulation) is just too dangerous to allow.