Von Neumann, self-reproduction and the constitution of nanophenomena

As part of a larger study of the immediate antecedents of nanoscience and nanotechnology, I examine, in this paper, the role played by John von Neumann's work on self-reproduction in the constitution of these fields (see especially von Neumann 1951, 1956 and 1966). Von Neumann's proposals have always been characterized by an overall unified vision, in which, depending on the domain under consideration, a given logic, specific mathematical theories, probability and the relevant scientific theories were integrated in a clear and well-motivated way. I discuss how this overall vision prompted von Neumann to develop his work on self-reproduction, and how this vision was then transferred to nanoscience and nanotechnology. In particular, I examine the influence of von Neumann's proposals in the development of Eric Drexler's work in molecular manipulation and computation (Drexler 1992). By understanding the influence that von Neumann's work had in nanotechnology and nanoscience, a different - and perhaps slightly more unified picture of these fields emerges.