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Gaming the Future: The Book!

Month: November 2000

New Topic Icons

from the your-call-is-important-to-us dept.
Are the new textual topic icons an improvement or an eyesore? Read More for the reasons behind them, and voice your opinion in the new Poll.

IEEE steps up to Artificial Immune Systems

from the staying-intact dept.
Discussions of defending against nanotech-based weapons often conclude that we will need something like an immune system. Dipankar Dasgupta, a computer scientist at Univ. of Memphis, will edit an Artificial Immune Systems special issue of the IEEE Transactions on Evolutionary Computation. Deadline for papers is December 15, 2000.

Why genes in nature shouldn't (or should) be patented

from the I-own-the-code-that-makes-your-liver dept.
Confused about the rationale behind the patenting of genes found in nature? Find out by reading Technology Review's Sept/Oct 2000 story by Antonio Regalado The Great Gene Grab. An excerpt: "However, when it comes to human genes…legal precedent offers a way around that prohibition, namely that genes captured and identified in the lab arenít in their natural form…From the point of view of patent law, a gene is just another man-made chemical." Also of interest in that issue: The Case for Gene Patents by William A. Hazeltine, whose comments on atomic-scale engineering have been cited favorably here on nanodot, and Toward Sharing the Genome by Seth Shulman, author of the book Owning the Future.

BBC looks at AI, robots, and nanotech

from the British-bravery dept.
Skevos writes "The current online version of the BBC's In Business radio program is a feature looking at the future of robotics, and the program deals with nanotechnology and AI as well. The content is probably nothing new to readers of nanodot, but it's interesting to hear these issues being explored (rather cautiously) by a mainstream broadcaster. The host speaks to Hans Moravec, Ray Kurzweil, Bill Joy, and others, and runs for just under 30 minutes.

You can find the Real Audio link to In Business here, or a direct link to the real audio file is here. I believe the program updates every Thursday, so the link probably won't work after Thursday 16 November 2000, or else it may lead to a different edition of the program. I recorded the show to a 6.6meg mp3 file for my own purposes, but I'm unaware of any easy or legal way of making it available to nanodot readers who miss out on it."

Narrowest carbon nanotubes made in Japan, Hong Kong

from the smaller-is-better-IF-its-stable dept.
Senior Associate GinaMiller points out an item from BBC News: "Scientists have created what they say are the narrowest, stable, carbon nanotubes. The tiny cylinders measure just 0.4 nanometres (0.4 billionths of a metre) in diameter. The structures are essentially tubular versions of buckminsterfullerene, the closed cages of carbon atoms that look like soccer balls. Carbon nanotubes have generated huge excitement because of their very interesting electrical and mechanical properties…Researchers believe the 0.4-nanometre-sized tubes mark a theoretical limit."

Packard Foundation goes nano

from the money-with-no-strings-attached-that's-very-nice dept.
Carrying on the David Packard tradition of innovation, the Packard Foundation gave many of its prestigious Fellowships in Science and Engineering to nano-oriented projects this year, according to this press release : "Twenty-four of the most promising science and engineering researchers at 22 universities across the United States have been awarded five-year fellowships worth $625,000 each from the David and Lucile Packard Foundation…It is one of the nation's largest non-governmental programs of unrestricted grants to young university faculty in science and engineering. From the study of galaxies, the earth, and its atmosphere, to cell biology, to nanotechnology and materials design, to theoretical mathematics and physics, the Fellows' research covers a multitude of disciplines in science and engineering." (Emphasis added) CP: At least a quarter of the grants listed have a "nano" orientation.

Neuromechanical protheses & lifespan increase via nanotech

from the medical-researchers-getting-excited dept.
From a press release on Yahoo News: William A. Haseltine, Ph.D., chairman and CEO of Human Genome Sciences, Inc., will outline the development of a major new branch of medicine in his keynote speech to The First Annual Conference on Regenerative Medicine on December 4… The fourth phase of regenerative medicine arises from an incipient revolution in materials science. “Living things are engineered to subatomic physical tolerances, and atomic-scale engineering, sometimes called nanotechnology, will soon provide that capability for many artificial materials,'' states Dr. Haseltine. “We should then be able to engineer new components for cells, organs, and tissues that will integrate seamlessly with our natural ones. Neuromechanical prostheses that respond smoothly and precisely to neural impulses are just one likely result. Extrapolations of observable developments imply that if all goes reasonably well, the human life span can be significantly increased.''

"Nanotech Valley" gets $10 million in Pennsylvania

from the go-East-young-nanotechies dept.
From a press release: Ridge Administration Announces Funding For Nanotechnology Center; Delaware Valley on Its Way to Becoming `Nanotech Valley'
HARRISBURG, Pa., Oct. 26 /PRNewswire/ — On behalf of Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Ridge, Community and Economic Development Secretary Sam McCullough today announced more than $10.5 million over three years to help position Southeastern Pennsylvania as a leader in nanotechnology research and development… “Gov. Ridge is continuing his commitment to bringing the technology revolution to all of Pennsylvania,'' McCullough said. “And we know that nanotechnology is the wave of the future. Thanks to this groundbreaking collaboration, Pennsylvania will be at the crest of that wave. We congratulate the University of Pennsylvania, Drexel University and the Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Southeastern Pennsylvania for coming together on such an important initiative.'' Read More for the full release, which seems to have disappeared from Yahoo but can be found by searching on PR Newswire.

Risky nanobusiness? Get insurance

from the better-insured-than-sorry dept.
Recognizing that some nanotech risks are not dissimilar to biotech risks, McManamey, Brettler & Associates — biotech insurance specialists — have issued a press release that makes clear their willingness to take on the insuring of nanotechnology-based businesses. While it's true that buying insurance doesn't by itself decrease risk, it does set up a financial incentive for all involved to identify and then work to reduce potential safety problems. Makes sense to us.

Nanotech helps ABB to environmental sustainability

from the pollution-is-just-atoms-in-the-wrong-place dept.
The corporate world is starting to notice that nanotech is clean tech. From a story on Yahoo News: Global technology group ABB said today that it has been named number one in corporate sustainability among the electric equipment industry by the SAM Sustainability Group… “We are pleased that our efforts are recognized,'' said Goran Lindahl, President and CEO of ABB. “This ranking acknowledges the fine work that is done throughout our global organization – in ABB sustainability is a core value for all our activities.''…ABB invested US$ 865 million on research and development and US$ 1,212 million on order-related development activities, for a total of some eight percent of Group revenues in 1999. ABB's technology innovations during that time included advances in molecular-scale nano-technologies… [Emphasis added]

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