Robert Freitas

Template:Short description Template:Infobox scientist 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.<ref name="Wolf 2022">Template:Cite web</ref>

In 1974, Freitas earned a bachelor's degree in physics and psychology from Harvey Mudd College. In 1978, he received a Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree from the Santa Clara University School of Law. He has written over 150 technical papers, book chapters, and popular articles on scientific, engineering, and legal topics.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Career

Freitas interests include nanorobotics,<ref name="Lifeboat Foundation 2010">Template:Cite web</ref> how nanotechnology can extend the life of humans,<ref name="Boeing 2006">Template:Cite web</ref> self-replicating machines,<ref name="Nanotech.biz 2006">Template:Cite web</ref> and Cryonics.<ref name="Wolf 2022" />

File:Advanced Automation for Space Missions - Cover.png

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

Freitas introduced the concept of "sentience quotient" in the late 1970s.<ref name="Freitas">Template:Cite journal</ref>

In 1980, Freitas and William Gilbreath were participants in a NASA study regarding "Advanced Automation for Space Missions,"<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> and presented the feasibility of self-replicating machines in space, using advanced artificial intelligence and automation technologies.<ref name="Freitas Gilbreath 2013">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>

Freitas began writing his Nanomedicine book series in 1994.<ref name="Peterson 2000">Template:Cite web</ref> Volume I was 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.<ref name="IMM">Template:Cite web</ref>

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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In 2009, Freitas was awarded the Feynman Prize<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> 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.<ref name="Foresight Institute 2010">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="Andrew 2000">Template:Cite journal</ref>

See also

• Ecophagy

Bibliography

• Robert A. Freitas Jr., Nanomedicine, Volume I: Basic Capabilities (Landes Bioscience, 1999) Template:ISBN
• Robert A. Freitas Jr., Nanomedicine, Vol. IIA: Biocompatibility (Landes Bioscience, 2003) Template:ISBN
• Robert A. Freitas Jr., Ralph C. Merkle, Kinematic Self-Replicating Machines (Landes Bioscience, 2004) Template:ISBN
• Robert A. Freitas Jr., Nanomedicine: Biocompatibility (S Karger Pub, 2004) Template:ISBN
• Robert A. Freitas Jr., Cryostasis Revival: The Recovery of Cryonics Patients through Nanomedicine (Alcor Life Extension Foundation, 2022) Template:ISBN

External links

• Robert Freitas' personal website