from the seeking-the-source dept.
The proposal for the open Public Libary of Science continues to attract attention. alison writes "An extensive Scientific American article describes the proposal to publish the contents of all scientific journals on-line for free." The SA article also has links to debate over the proposal in Science, Nature, and other science journals.
For additional details, see the nanodot post from 13 April 2001.
from the community-relations dept.
alison writes "I propose that IMM/Foresight have a booth at the exhibit or trade show of a major scientific or engineering meeting. The purpose of such a booth would be to recruit new members from the technical community, and in particular, to recruit folks who are players in nanotechnology research."
Read more for the details of alison's proposal.
from the coast-to-coast dept.
According to an Associated Press report in the New York Times, IBM will invest more than $100 million to help create a state Center of Excellence in Nanoelectronics at the State University of New York's Albany campus, (Note: Access to the NY Times site is free, but requires registration.)
New York Gov. George Pataki and company officials announced the contribution on 23 April 2001. Pataki said the state would contribute $50 million for the center, which is expected to initially employ 100 technicians and 400 scientists. The center will create the only university-based, 300-millimeter computer wafer prototype facility in the world, and provide laboratory and clean room space for researchers, incubator space for high-tech company spinoff ventures and a work force development program, officials said. IBM has announced plans to build a $2.5 billion computer chip fabrication plant in East Fishkill, located south of Albany.
Read more for additional information on the New York program, and similar efforts in California.
from the trend-analysis dept.
A short profile in Wired Magazine ("Kurzweil's Law," by P. Boutin) covers Ray Kurzweilís analysis of long-term technological trends. According to the article, "He'll lay out his conclusions next year in a much-anticipated book called The Singularity Is Near, in which (surprise) he'll argue that technology's increasingly rapid pace of change is fundamentally transformative, unstoppable, economically powerful, and cool. It's not just our optical networks that are getting better; according to Kurzweil, the capacity of human consciousness itself is expanding exponentially."
Kurzweilís analyses of these trends "aggregate progress into one big, constantly accelerating curve that flies off the charts at the point where its rate of change becomes infinite – mathematically speaking, a singularity. . . . In lay terms, the future beyond the singularity is completely unpredictable from today's vantage point."
You can find out more on Kurzweilís new web site, www.kurzweilai.net, which was recently covered here.
from the NSETting-the-agenda dept.
The U.S. National Science and Technology Councilís Subcommittee on Nanoscale Science, Engineering and Technology (NSET) has released a 280-page report detailing the presentations from a workshop on the Societal Implications of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, which was held at the National Science Foundation in Washington, D.C., 28-29 September 2000. NSET is the coordinating body for the U.S. National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI).
The workshop report includes a comparative survey of the current studies on societal implications (knowledge and education, technological, economic, medical, environmental, cultural, ethical, legal, cultural, risks, etc.) of advances in nanoscience and nanotechnology, as well as an examination of vision and alternative pathways for the future over short (3-5 years), medium (5-15 years) and long-term (over 20 years) horizons. The report also makes recommendations for research and education programs. The workshop and any follow-on activities are part of the NNI.
The full report is available as an Adobe Acrobat PDF file (2.5 MB).
from the the-diamond-age dept.
An article on Space Daily.com reports researchers at Vanderbilt University have created a prototype diamond-based thermionic solar cell that is potentially 3 to 4 times more efficient than conventional silicon-based cells. The operation of the diamond cells depends on their nanoscale properties.
The cells use diamond films covered with millions of microscopic pyramids: about 10 million per square centimeter. When heated, the tips of these pyramids, which are only a few atoms across, emit streams of high-energy electrons. At the nanoscale, the laws of physics favor the efficient production of high-energy electrons. "It is this nanoscale physics that makes the device work," says Vanderbilt Prof. Timothy S. Fisher, who led the research. He collaborated with Weng Poo Kang, an associate professor of electrical engineering and computer science. The bottom of the diamond film is laminated to a metal sheet that acts as a cathode. When heated, the tips of the tiny pyramids emit streams of electrons that flow across the intervening vacuum to the anode, creating an electric current.
from the memetics dept.
Senior Associate Glenn Reynolds writes: The alternative-rock group "Our Lady Peace" has a new CD out called "Spiritual Machines." It's a concept album (well, kinda) based on Ray Kurzweil's work, and features snips of Ray reading from his book. It's pretty cool. (Downloadable music at www.ourladypeace.com)."
from the active-materials dept.
Researchers at Sandia National Laboratory and the University of New Mexico report they have created what they call self-assembling "intelligent nanostructures" that report on their environment by changing color from blue to fluorescent red under mechanical, chemical, or thermal stress.
According to their press release, the material can distinguish between different solvents by changing color. The material also can report changes in mechanical stress and temperature. When the environmental disturbance is removed, the structures change back to their original color in some cases, making them potentially reusable.
The Sandia/UNM fabrication method evenly pre-distributes monomers — simpler precursors of polymers — within a silica matrix through self-assembly. Exposure to UV light polymerizes the monomers into conjugated polymers housed in nanoscopic channels that penetrate the matrix of the material. The result is a nanocomposite that is mechanically robust, optically transparent, and produces telltale changes of color under changing environmental conditions. The researchers claim they also can control interactions between polymer units that affect a materialís electrical and optical properties.
Aspects of the work are also reported in the 19 April 2001 issue of Nature.
from the The-happening-world dept.
VAB writes "A BBC Article reports Britain is to ban reproductive human cloning as part of a strategy to assure the public that genetic technology will be harnessed for beneficial use only.
Health Secretary Alan Milburn announced on Thursday [19 April 2001] that the government is bringing forward legislation to outlaw human cloning within months. Mr Milburn said that the only way to ensure human cloning never takes place is to ban reproductive human cloning by law.
The health secretary stressed that while Britain should aim to become a world leader in the genetic revolution in healthcare, no progress can be made unless strict boundaries are set to reassure the public about genetic technology."
from the smart-allies-not-enemies dept.
From Senior Associate Eliezer Yudkowsky: The Singularity Institute has just announced that it has begun circulating a preliminary version of "Friendly AI" for open commentary by the academic and futurist communities. "Friendly AI" is the first specific proposal for a set of design features and cognitive architectures to produce a benevolent – "Friendly" – Artificial Intelligence. The official launch is tentatively scheduled for mid-June, but we hope to discuss the current paper with you at the upcoming Foresight Gathering this weekend. Read More for more details.
