---------------------------------------------------------------------
Read Eric Drexler (1986 Textbook) Chapter 7: "Engines of Healing" 
and answer the following questions.

Due June 23 (Thursday), 2005

 Notation:  <123> means page 123.  thinking means you have to think about it.

1.  Why were the procedures of surgery and drug therapy in the 1980's
so "crude" in Drexler's point of view? 

2.  How would he cure "aids"? 

3.  What drug did Upjohn Company redesign?  <101>

4.  What are the environmentqal causes of cell damage in human body? <101>

5.  Describe his conceptions of "self-repair"and "healing".  <102>

6.  What is "holism"?  <103>

7.  Can memory be explained in biochemistry? What substance did he say that will
help memory? <103>

8.  What is the definition of "life" according to biologist?  Can you distinguish
"animate" or "inanimate" for the entity "virus"?  (Is virus a living thing or not?)
<103>

9.  What is the difference between the conventional drug therapy and the
suggested "cell repairing machine" (CRM)?  <104>

10. What five functions must a CRM (cell-repairing machine) have?  <104>

11. The CRM will need the aid of what to do its job? <105>

12. Molecular recognitions (MR) is an important buzzword in nanotechnology.
Why?  (In military jargon, we have the "S___ and D___ mission".  MR corresponds
to which part?)  How do you use DNA as an example to aid MR? <106>

13. There are talks of "nanorobots" (i.e., a type of CRM).  What
missions should these nanorobots be charged in medical applications? <110>

14. Can you think about two examples of the TOP-DOWN and BOTTOM-UP approaches in
medical healing?  (Which one is CRM?  TOP-DOWN ?)  What is the other?<110>  
 (thinking!) 

15. What are the limitations of CRM?  <110>

16. Explain the differences between anesthesis and biostasis? <111>

17. Explain the difference between function and structure <112>

18. What distinguishes "fighting a thousand disease" and "establishing health"? <114>

19. How fast does Drexler predict AI will expedite the development of CRM? <114>

20. How does Drexler characterize "aging"?  Is it a "course of nanture"? or what? <114>

21. What does he think to be the causes of aging?  <115>  Have you heard of
some cellular causes since 1986 that set "limits" to the life span of cells?

22. What commercial companies did he cite in 1986 to be doing something about aging? <115>

23. What are the symtoms of aging, as listed by Drexler? <115>

24. What do you think about Drexler's paper (speaking freely)?
Is it science fiction or science vision?  (thinking)

    ---------------------------------------------------------------------