"An international race in the relevant technologies is getting under way at this point, not necessarily with an understanding of where that race leads in the long run, but strongly motivated by the short-term payoffs"

This quote by K. Eric Drexler suggests that the world is presently in the middle of an international race to establish and make use of new technologies. This race is driven by the prospective short-term advantages that these innovations can bring, instead of a long-lasting vision of what the world could look like with these innovations. This race is most likely to be extremely competitive, as countries and business strive to be the very first to develop and utilize the most innovative technologies. The outcome of this race is uncertain, however it is most likely to have a considerable impact on the world in the years to come.