Some weeks ago Glenn Reynolds commented on an article in Nanotechnology Magazine. The author claims there is a nanobacteria so small it slips past our defenses. It creates Calcium deposits in virtually every organ of the body when it encysts itself for further protection. It reproduces very, very slowly due the inefficiency of its’ tiny molecular machinery, takes about 40 years to do noticeable damage… and is the cause of virtually all degenerative diseases. He claims it is cureable and his organization is running trials already, using FDA approved drugs in special prescriptions.
Glenn readily admitted passing judging on these claims was out of his area of expertise. Had it been a lesser claim, I’m just enough of a know-it-all to have judged it within mine. But given the earthshaking nature of what was on the table… I decided to hold back and wait for reinforcements. I really don’t like to make a complete fool of myself if I can help it. I am a firm believer that when something seems too good to be true… it probably is.
I contacted Christine Peterson and Eric Drexler at the Foresight Institute and ran it by them.
While Eric did not entirely dismiss it, he did point out a very troubling issue which would require explanation before one could take the paper seriously:
I wouldn’t be in the least surprised to find that the medicos have overlooked a class of small, unusual bacteria. Evidence for such things has been trickling out for a while now.
On the other hand, any nanobacterial researcher who claims to have found a bacterium only 20 nm in diameter has no idea what a bacterium is. (It helps to have room for both a ribosome and a cell membrane, and maybe even some DNA and enzymes just to round things out.)
I wouldn’t suggest you throw away your “remedies” just yet.
