Tihamer,
You cite 3 necessary tools.
1. Develop physical tools that give atomically precise control over bulk matter,
2. Multiply the size, diversity, and hardiness of Earth's biosphere (by transplanting it elsewhere),
3. Develop tools that help us think better.
I believe I have produced a foundation to provide one of your tools.
Regarding building humanity to "Think Better" would seem to fundamentally involve the broad teaching of Critical Thinking and Predicting Consequences.
http://www.fqxi.org/community/forum/topic/2045
These are learned by practiced experience, not by just reading about it. Incorporated into all of our school systems through a 501(c)3 to enforce practiced experience.
Additionally, providing a base of knowledge relative to differing social groups provides a foundation upon which self-esteem can be grown.
To be accepted into a social group the jargon, common relationships, and knowledge of relevant perspectives is needed to be broadly useful to a social group.
These three components form Common Sense:
Common Sense = Self-esteem (each social group) Logic Predicting Consequences
I was involved with MEMS for a short time (small simple machines whose total size is about 1/2 the width of a human hair). The smallest features I dealt with were 300 nm. Nano-machines would be roughly 500 times smaller. But the properties of nano-tech changes significantly from micro-tech. At micro scales you can still make and recognize gears, slides, hinges ... But at nano scale the individual atoms are interfered with by molecule conditions, and atoms are the smallest manipulated features; almost. The electrons and subatomic properties influence the nature of what is being built and are significant parts of considerations.
One physicist produced a video of a molecule transport apparatus. By imposing an energy potential a sequence of molecules transposed positions and sequenced a different molecule around a loop.
Nano-tech has machine-like functions, but does not have machine-like recognizable features until approaching micro-scale. Manipulating individual atoms, and even proton and neutrons are presently being done. However, the "current" emphasis are nano-manipulated materials like carbon nano-tubes.
Carbon nano-tubes cut up cell membranes like asbestos.
Regarding nano-tech, OSHA has no stringent protocols for safety related to nano-tech. They have vague guidelines relative to safety and not specific to the technologies. Hundreds of tons of nano-materials are currently produced and distributed globally. An example is sunscreen. All sunscreen has nano-materials that block UV. Does it migrate through the cell membrane walls? But which is worse, skin cancer or something else. Time will tell.
Part of developing technologies is developing the related safe handling protocols and related training.
As long as there is not currently life on/within Venus, or the dense clouds, the potential is to terra-form Venus from space. The cooling of the atmosphere is feasible using space-based orbiting shade structures.
global-energy-system.pbworks.com
Once the atmosphere is cooled partially, this would stop the soar UV breaking of bonds of water vapor at high altitudes.
Asteroids of water can be transported and dropped into the Venus atmosphere.
Floating catalyst structures (Venus atmosphere very dense) can use the differential energy of the atmosphere to convert atmospheric chemicals like carbon, sulphur, and the new available Hydrogen and Oxygen into hydrocarbons. The purpose is to treat the land mass to begin preparing for vegetation.
As the atmosphere cools, the condensing vapors drop onto the soils and react with the hydrocarbons produced.
Space-based geological surveys become useful as the atmospheric clutter clears.
When the ground temperatures approach 60C in regions, then bacteria and seeds suitable for those temperatures are distributed. Thus amplifying the conversion of CO2 to oxygen and carbohydrates, feeding the bacteria. The bacteria establishing an eco-system.
As temperatures continue to cool, human settlements can begin forming to mine likely rare Venus elements to provide here on Earth.
The solar sails providing energy efficient robotic transport between Earth and Venus.
As Venus continues to cool and develop a weather system due to the water introduced, the orbiting shade structures modify to provide active weather control to mitigate potential destructive weather so that building efforts are not destroyed.
The same weather control system comes to be used to control global warming on Earth.
Space elevators are built for both Venus and Earth and the solar sails provide robotic low-cost access to space and interplanetary routine travel.
A less feasible extension:
By this time, space/time technology becomes more developed and there is no need to travel outside of our solar system due to quantum cameras being developed. A quantum camera can interactively frame any reference in the Universe. Therefore, we obtain access to other planets and civilizations without the need of spaceships.
