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Robert A. Freitas Jr. (born 1952) is an American nanotechnologist.

Early life and education[edit]

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.^[1]

In 1974, Freitas earned a bachelor's degree in both physics and psychology from Harvey Mudd College, and in 1978, he received a Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree from Santa Clara University School of Law. He has written more than 150 technical papers, book chapters, and popular articles on scientific, engineering, and legal topics.^[2]

Career[edit]

Freitas interests include nanorobotics,^[3] how nanotechnology can extend the life of humans,^[4] self-replicating machines,^[5] and Cryonics.^[1]

In 1980, Freitas and William Gilbreath were participants in a NASA study regarding "Advanced Automation for Space Missions",^[6] and they presented the feasibility of self-replicating machines in space, using advanced artificial intelligence and automation technologies.^[7]^[8]

Freitas began writing his Nanomedicine book series in 1994.^[9] Volume I, 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.^[10]

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.^[11]

In 2009, Freitas was awarded the Feynman Prize^[12] 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.^[13]^[14]

References[edit]

^ ^a ^b Wolf, Aschwin de (21 June 2022). "Alcor Member Profile: Robert A. Freitas Jr". Alcor - Life Extension Foundation - Cryonics. Retrieved 11 May 2023.
^ Templeton, Graham (May 10, 2017). "'Xenology' by Robert Freitas: the Backstory". Inverse. Retrieved 2020-08-27.
^ "Lifeboat Foundation Interview: Robert A. Freitas Jr". Lifeboat Foundation. 4 April 2010. Retrieved 11 May 2023.
^ Boeing, Niels (20 April 2006). ""Die Medizin wird digital"". MIT Technology Review (in German). Retrieved 11 May 2023.
^ "Interview with Robert Freitas". Nanotech.biz. 18 February 2006. Archived from the original on 13 December 2006. Retrieved 11 May 2023.
^ Advanced Automation for Space Missions (PDF). NASA.gov: NASA Scientific and Technical Information Branch. 1982. Retrieved 11 May 2023.
^ Freitas, R. A. Jr.; Gilbreath, W. P. (4 September 2013). "Advanced Automation for Space Missions". NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS). Retrieved 11 May 2023.
^ "IJCAI'81: Proceedings of the 7th international joint conference on Artificial intelligence - Volume 2". Guide Proceedings. Retrieved 11 May 2023.
^ Peterson, Chris (31 January 2000). "Foresight Update 38 Page 2". foresight.org. Archived from the original on 10 May 2021. Retrieved 11 May 2023.
^ "Robert A. Freitas Jr, Senior Research Fellow". Institute for Molecular Manufacturing. 22 September 2007. Retrieved 11 May 2023.
^ "Book review of Kinematic Self-Replicating Machines by Robert A. Freitas, Jr. and Ralph C. Merkle. Artificial Life Journal. 2006 Winter;12(1):187-188". Retrieved 2017-06-18.
^ "Socio/intellectual patterns in nanoscale research: Feynman Nanotechnology Prize laureates, 1993-2007. Social Science Information 2010;49:615-638". Retrieved 2017-06-18.
^ "Freitas awarded first mechanosynthesis patent". Foresight Institute. 12 April 2010. Retrieved 11 May 2023.
^ Andrew, Alex M. (2000). "NANOMEDICINE, VOLUME 1: BASIC CAPABILITIES, by Robert A. Freitas Jr., Landes Bioscience, Austin, Texas, 1999, xxi + 509 pp., ISBN 1-57059-645-X Index". Robotica. 18 (6). Cambridge University Press (CUP): 687–689. doi:10.1017/s0263574700212824. ISSN 0263-5747.

Bibliography[edit]

Robert A. Freitas Jr., Nanomedicine, Volume I: Basic Capabilities (Landes Bioscience, 1999) ISBN 1-57059-645-X
Robert A. Freitas Jr., Nanomedicine, Vol. IIA: Biocompatibility (Landes Bioscience, 2003) ISBN 1-57059-700-6
Robert A. Freitas Jr., Ralph C. Merkle, Kinematic Self-Replicating Machines (Landes Bioscience, 2004) ISBN 1-57059-690-5
Robert A. Freitas Jr., Nanomedicine: Biocompatibility (S Karger Pub, 2004) ISBN 3-8055-7722-2
Robert A. Freitas Jr., Cryostasis Revival: The Recovery of Cryonics Patients through Nanomedicine (Alcor Life Extension Foundation, 2022) ISBN 978-0-9968153-5-2

External links[edit]

Robert Freitas' personal website

[Wolf_2022-1] Wolf, Aschwin de (21 June 2022). "Alcor Member Profile: Robert A. Freitas Jr". Alcor - Life Extension Foundation - Cryonics. Retrieved 11 May 2023.

[2] Templeton, Graham (May 10, 2017). "'Xenology' by Robert Freitas: the Backstory". Inverse. Retrieved 2020-08-27.

[Lifeboat_Foundation_2010-3] "Lifeboat Foundation Interview: Robert A. Freitas Jr". Lifeboat Foundation. 4 April 2010. Retrieved 11 May 2023.

[Boeing_2006-4] Boeing, Niels (20 April 2006). ""Die Medizin wird digital"". MIT Technology Review (in German). Retrieved 11 May 2023.

[Nanotech.biz_2006-5] "Interview with Robert Freitas". Nanotech.biz. 18 February 2006. Archived from the original on 13 December 2006. Retrieved 11 May 2023.

[6] Advanced Automation for Space Missions (PDF). NASA.gov: NASA Scientific and Technical Information Branch. 1982. Retrieved 11 May 2023.

[Freitas_Gilbreath_2013-7] Freitas, R. A. Jr.; Gilbreath, W. P. (4 September 2013). "Advanced Automation for Space Missions". NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS). Retrieved 11 May 2023.

[8] "IJCAI'81: Proceedings of the 7th international joint conference on Artificial intelligence - Volume 2". Guide Proceedings. Retrieved 11 May 2023.

[Peterson_2000-9] Peterson, Chris (31 January 2000). "Foresight Update 38 Page 2". foresight.org. Archived from the original on 10 May 2021. Retrieved 11 May 2023.

[IMM-10] "Robert A. Freitas Jr, Senior Research Fellow". Institute for Molecular Manufacturing. 22 September 2007. Retrieved 11 May 2023.

[11] "Book review of Kinematic Self-Replicating Machines by Robert A. Freitas, Jr. and Ralph C. Merkle. Artificial Life Journal. 2006 Winter;12(1):187-188". Retrieved 2017-06-18.

[12] "Socio/intellectual patterns in nanoscale research: Feynman Nanotechnology Prize laureates, 1993-2007. Social Science Information 2010;49:615-638". Retrieved 2017-06-18.

[Foresight_Institute_2010-13] "Freitas awarded first mechanosynthesis patent". Foresight Institute. 12 April 2010. Retrieved 11 May 2023.

[Andrew_2000-14] Andrew, Alex M. (2000). "NANOMEDICINE, VOLUME 1: BASIC CAPABILITIES, by Robert A. Freitas Jr., Landes Bioscience, Austin, Texas, 1999, xxi + 509 pp., ISBN 1-57059-645-X Index". Robotica. 18 (6). Cambridge University Press (CUP): 687–689. doi:10.1017/s0263574700212824. ISSN 0263-5747.

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@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+{{Short description|American nanotechnologist}}
-{{Multiple issues|{{Notability|bio|bio=|date=June 2017}}{{Puffery|date=June 2017}}{{BLP sources|date=June 2017}}{{Advert|date=June 2017}}
-}}
 '''Robert A. Freitas Jr.''' (born 1952) is an American [[nanotechnologist]].
+==Early life and education==
-==Career==
+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">{{cite web | last=Wolf | first=Aschwin de | title=Alcor Member Profile: Robert A. Freitas Jr. | website=Alcor - Life Extension Foundation - Cryonics | date=21 June 2022 | url=https://www.alcor.org/alcor-member-profile-robert-a-freitas-jr/ | access-date=11 May 2023}}</ref>
 In 1974, Freitas earned a bachelor's degree in both [[physics]] and [[psychology]] from [[Harvey Mudd College]], and in 1978, he received a [[Juris Doctor]] (J.D.) degree from [[Santa Clara University School of Law]]. He has written more than 150 technical papers, book chapters, and popular articles on scientific, engineering, and legal topics.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Templeton|first=Graham|title='Xenology' by Robert Freitas: the Backstory|url=https://www.inverse.com/article/30886-robert-freitas-alien-life-xenology-book-qa|work=Inverse|date=May 10, 2017|access-date=2020-08-27|language=en}}</ref>
+==Career==
-Freitas began writing his ''Nanomedicine'' book series in 1994.  Volume I, 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.
+Freitas interests include [[nanorobotics]],<ref name="Lifeboat Foundation 2010">{{cite web | title=Lifeboat Foundation Interview: Robert A. Freitas Jr | website=Lifeboat Foundation | date=4 April 2010 | url=https://lifeboat.com/ex/interview.robert.a.freitas.jr | access-date=11 May 2023}}</ref> how nanotechnology can extend the life of humans,<ref name="Boeing 2006">{{cite web | last=Boeing | first=Niels | title="Die Medizin wird digital" | website=MIT Technology Review | date=20 April 2006 | url=https://www.heise.de/meinung/Die-Medizin-wird-digital-278373.html | language=de | access-date=11 May 2023}}</ref> [[Self-replicating machine|self-replicating machines]],<ref name="Nanotech.biz 2006">{{cite web | title=Interview with Robert Freitas | website=Nanotech.biz | date=18 February 2006 | url=http://www.nanotech.biz/i.php?id=robertfreitas | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061213095655/http://www.nanotech.biz/i.php?id=robertfreitas | archive-date=13 December 2006 | url-status=live | access-date=11 May 2023}}</ref> and [[Cryonics]].<ref name="Wolf 2022" />
+[[File:Advanced Automation for Space Missions - Cover.png|thumb|Figure 5.29.— proposed demonstration of simple robot self-replication in "Advanced Automation for Space Missions"]]
-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>{{cite web|url=https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B6G3tbmMcpR4NWp5cnZDRi1samc/view|title=Book review of Kinematic Self-Replicating Machines by Robert A. Freitas, Jr. and Ralph C. Merkle. Artificial Life Journal. 2006 Winter;12(1):187-188.|access-date=2017-06-18}}</ref>
+In 1980, Freitas and William Gilbreath were participants in a NASA study regarding "Advanced Automation for Space Missions",<ref>{{cite book |title=Advanced Automation for Space Missions |date=1982 |publisher=NASA Scientific and Technical Information Branch |location=NASA.gov |url=https://ntrs.nasa.gov/api/citations/19830007077/downloads/19830007077.pdf |access-date=11 May 2023}}</ref> and they presented the feasibility of self-replicating machines in space, using advanced artificial intelligence and automation technologies.<ref name="Freitas Gilbreath 2013">{{cite web | last1=Freitas | first1=R. A. Jr. | last2=Gilbreath | first2=W. P. | title=Advanced Automation for Space Missions | website=NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS) | date=4 September 2013 | url=https://ntrs.nasa.gov/citations/19830007077 | access-date=11 May 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |title=IJCAI'81: Proceedings of the 7th international joint conference on Artificial intelligence - Volume 2 |url=https://dl.acm.org/doi/proceedings/10.5555/1623264 |journal=Guide Proceedings |access-date=11 May 2023}}</ref>
+Freitas began writing his ''Nanomedicine'' book series in 1994.<ref name="Peterson 2000">{{cite web | last=Peterson | first=Chris | title=Foresight Update 38 Page 2 | website=foresight.org | date=31 January 2000 | url=https://foresight.org/Updates/Update38/Update38.2.html#Interview | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210510073428/https://foresight.org/Updates/Update38/Update38.2.html#Interview | archive-date=10 May 2021  | access-date=11 May 2023}}</ref>  Volume I, 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">{{cite web | title=Robert A. Freitas Jr, Senior Research Fellow | website=Institute for Molecular Manufacturing | date=22 September 2007 | url=http://www.imm.org/about/freitas/ | access-date=11 May 2023}}</ref>
-In 2009, Freitas was awarded the [[Feynman Prize]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/258189907|title=Socio/intellectual patterns in nanoscale research: Feynman Nanotechnology Prize laureates, 1993-2007. Social Science Information 2010;49:615-638.|access-date=2017-06-18}}</ref> in theoretical [[nanotechnology]].
+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>{{cite web|url=https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B6G3tbmMcpR4NWp5cnZDRi1samc/view|title=Book review of Kinematic Self-Replicating Machines by Robert A. Freitas, Jr. and Ralph C. Merkle. Artificial Life Journal. 2006 Winter;12(1):187-188.|access-date=2017-06-18}}</ref>
-==Bibliography==
-* ''Robert A. Freitas Jr.'', Nanomedicine, Volume I: Basic Capabilities (Landes Bioscience, 1999) {{ISBN|1-57059-645-X}}
+In 2009, Freitas was awarded the [[Feynman Prize]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/258189907|title=Socio/intellectual patterns in nanoscale research: Feynman Nanotechnology Prize laureates, 1993-2007. Social Science Information 2010;49:615-638.|access-date=2017-06-18}}</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">{{cite web | title=Freitas awarded first mechanosynthesis patent | website=Foresight Institute | date=12 April 2010 | url=https://foresight.org/freitas-awarded-first-mechanosynthesis-patent/ | access-date=11 May 2023}}</ref><ref name="Andrew 2000">{{cite journal | last=Andrew | first=Alex M. | title=NANOMEDICINE, VOLUME 1: BASIC CAPABILITIES, by Robert A. Freitas Jr., Landes Bioscience, Austin, Texas, 1999, xxi + 509 pp., ISBN 1-57059-645-X Index  | journal=Robotica | publisher=Cambridge University Press (CUP) | volume=18 | issue=6 | year=2000 | issn=0263-5747 | doi=10.1017/s0263574700212824 | pages=687–689}}</ref>
-* ''Robert A. Freitas Jr.'', Nanomedicine, Vol. IIA: Biocompatibility (Landes Bioscience, 2003) {{ISBN|1-57059-700-6}}
-* ''Robert A. Freitas Jr., [[Ralph Merkle|Ralph C. Merkle]]'', Kinematic Self-Replicating Machines (Landes Bioscience, 2004) {{ISBN|1-57059-690-5}}
-* ''Robert A. Freitas Jr.'', Nanomedicine: Biocompatibility (S Karger Pub, 2004) {{ISBN|3-8055-7722-2}}
 ==See also==
@@ Line 23: / Line 24: @@
 ==References==
 {{Reflist}}
+==Bibliography==
+* ''Robert A. Freitas Jr.'', Nanomedicine, Volume I: Basic Capabilities (Landes Bioscience, 1999) {{ISBN|1-57059-645-X}}
+* ''Robert A. Freitas Jr.'', Nanomedicine, Vol. IIA: Biocompatibility (Landes Bioscience, 2003) {{ISBN|1-57059-700-6}}
+* ''Robert A. Freitas Jr., [[Ralph Merkle|Ralph C. Merkle]]'', Kinematic Self-Replicating Machines (Landes Bioscience, 2004) {{ISBN|1-57059-690-5}}
+* ''Robert A. Freitas Jr.'', Nanomedicine: Biocompatibility (S Karger Pub, 2004) {{ISBN|3-8055-7722-2}}
+* ''Robert A. Freitas Jr.'', Cryostasis Revival: The Recovery of Cryonics Patients through Nanomedicine (Alcor Life Extension Foundation, 2022) {{ISBN|978-0-9968153-5-2}}
 ==External links==
 {{wikisource author}}
 * [http://www.rfreitas.com/ Robert Freitas' personal website]
-{{Molecular nanotechnology footer}}
+{{Molecular nanotechnology footer}}
 {{Authority control}}
 {{DEFAULTSORT:Freitas, Robert}}
 [[Category:1952 births]]
-[[Category:Living people]]
+[[Category:Cryonicists]]
 [[Category:American nanotechnologists]]
-[[Category:Harvey Mudd College alumni]]
-[[Category:Santa Clara University alumni]]
 [[Category:American people of Portuguese descent]]
 [[Category:American transhumanists]]
-[[Category:Cryonicists]]
+[[Category:Harvey Mudd College alumni]]
+[[Category:Living people]]
+[[Category:People from Camden, Maine]]
+[[Category:Santa Clara University alumni]]

v t e Molecular nanotechnology
Concepts	Molecular assembler Molecular machine Mechanosynthesis Mechanochemistry Nanorobotics Self-replicating machine Productive nanosystems Gray goo Exploratory engineering Carbon nanotube nanomotor Utility fog Ecophagy Starseed launcher
Organizations	Foresight Institute Future of Humanity Institute
People	K. Eric Drexler Christine Peterson J. Storrs Hall Carlo Montemagno Ralph Merkle Robert Freitas James C. Bennett
Works	Engines of Creation Great Mambo Chicken and the Transhuman Condition "There's Plenty of Room at the Bottom"
Other	Feynman Prize in Nanotechnology Drexler–Smalley debate on molecular nanotechnology
Related topics	Nanotechnology Nanomedicine Transhumanism Cryonics Technological singularity Impact of nanotechnology Societal

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