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Gaming the Future: The Book!

Month: December 2001

Highlights of nanotech in C&E News

from the from-chemistry-to-nanotech dept.
The December 10 Chemical & Engineering News has an article titled "Highlights 2001" that summarizes the top achievements in various fields of chemistry. It kicks off with three pages on nanotech and molecular electronics.

Researchers reveal structure of

According to a press release (18 December 2001), a team of researchers led biophysicist Bing Jap led a team from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory's Life Sciences Division have determined the structure and function of a cell membrane protein, called aquaporin 1 (AQP1), that is specific for water molecules. The structure reveals the how the AQP1 can transport water through the cell membrane at a high rate while effectively blocking everything else that is larger or smaller, even individual protons, the nuclei of hydrogen atoms.

Each AQP1 channel is made up of four identical subunits, each with an entrance chamber on the outside of the cell envelope, connected to a similar chambeer inside the cell by a long, narrow pore. "The secret of AQP1's specificity is two-fold: it selects for size and for chemical nature," Jap says. "There is a very narrow constriction in the pore, which admits no molecule bigger than water. To keep out molecules smaller than water there is also a chemical filter, formed by the specific orientation and distribution of the amino acid residues lining the pore."

Molecules attempting to enter the channel are bound to water molecules that are stripped away in the pore; charged species are therefore left with net electrical charge. "The filter strongly rejects charged molecules or ions, even as small as single protons," Jap explains. The unique distribution of amino acid residues along the pore wall also accounts for the channel's ability to move water quickly. The channelís internal environment has both hydrophilic and hydrophobic components. Water molecules readily get in because of the hydrophilic sites, but the hydrophobic regions prevent them from binding too frequently. Thus water and only water flows freely in and out of the cell through AQP1's pores, the direction of flow depending only on changing relative pressure inside and outside the cell.

Similar work on the structure and workings of an ion-channel protein sorter for potassium ions was reported here on 2 November 2001.

Macro robots presage nanotech capabilities

Some recent work with macroscopic robots is aimed at developing the sorts of capabilities that are often envisioned for future nanorobotic systems:

IBM reports quantum computing advance

According to a press release (19 December 2001), researchers at IBM's Almaden Research Center have performed the world's most complicated quantum-computer calculation to date. They used a container full of billions of custom-designed molecules to create a seven-qubit quantum computer that solved a simple version of the numerical factoring problem at the heart of many of today's data-security cryptographic systems. Reporting their work in the 20 December 2001 issue of Nature, the team says they have provided the first demonstration of "Shor's Algorithm" — a method developed in 1994 by AT&T scientist Peter Shor for using a quantum computer to find a number's factors. Today, factoring a large number is so difficult for conventional computers — yet so simple to verify — that it is used by many cryptographic methods to protect data.

The simplest meaningful instance of Shor's Algorithm is finding the factors of the number 15, which requires a seven-qubit quantum computer. IBM chemists designed and made a new molecule that has seven nuclear spins — the nuclei of five fluorine and two carbon atoms — which can interact with each other as qubits, be programmed by radio frequency pulses and be detected by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) instruments similar to those commonly used in hospitals and chemistry labs. The IBM scientists controlled a vial of a billion billion (1018) of these molecules so they executed Shor's algorithm and correctly identified 3 and 5 as the factors of 15. "Although the answer may appear to be trivial, the unprecedented control required over the seven spins during the calculation made this the most complex quantum computation performed to date," a member of the research team said.

Additional coverage of the research can be found in the New York Times and an article from the San Francisco Chronicle reprinted on the Small Times website.

Economist article positive about nanomedicine

brianwang writes "The most recent issue of the Economist (20 December 2001) discusses a view of nanomedicine and recent developments. http://www.economist.com/science/displaystory.cfm? story_id=916725

They discuss examples of current work that have mostly already been tracked in nanodot.

They spin nanomedicine as being the ultimate of what we will see from nanotech rather than molecular nanotech with assemblers. They don't see it as being on the road to and part of molecular nanotech. Eric Drexler,as usual, is mentioned, as is "Fantastic Voyage"."

Drexer warns symposium about NT dangers

from the pay-attention-to-reality dept.
Krees writes: "Foresight founder Eric Drexler addresed a terrorism symposium Tuesday [18 December], warning of the "extreme downsides" of nanotechnology and criticizing some nanotech researchers for their apparent failure to consider the negative applications of their technologies. Sandia's Gerard Yonas also spoke on the emerging field of cognotechnology (convergence of nanotech, biotech and IT) for remote brain sensing and mind control."

Dr. Drexler, Senior Research Fellow at the Institute for Molecular Manufacturing and Foresight Board Chair, spoke during a panel discussion "The War On Terrorism: What Does It Mean for Science?", held on 18 December 2001 in Washington, D.C.

An article on the Small Times website ("Drexler warns terror symposium: Nanotech has ëextreme downsidesí ", by Doug Brown, 19 December 2001) provides extensive coverage:
ìOne of my profound hopes is that the new spirit of seriousness about life and death issues that we see in the wake of Sept. 11 Ö will encourage people to pay a little less attention to politics and a little more attention to reality,î said Drexler. ìThis is a technology which can reasonably be described as extreme in all directions: extreme upsides, extreme downsides.î
Drexler also noted that many scientists who are eager to slapped the term "nanotechnology" on their research when it was viewed as ìsexy,î but became ìa little upset to find that they had a label on their work that was associated with outrageous, science-fictiony sounding claims about the future and scary scenarios and other thingsî, with the result that many members of the nanotechnology research community ìlike to distance themselves from the consequences of their own work.î

For some background, read the Foresight Position Statement on Avoiding High-Tech Terrorism, and an open letter from Dr. Drexler on "Nanotechnology: Six Lessons from Sept. 11".

The Small Times article also covers comments by Foresight Executive Director Chuck Piercey on the funding of long-term nanotechnology research, and Gerald Yonas, vice president and principal scientist at Sandia National Laboratories, who described an emerging field he calls ìcognotechnology,î a convergence of nanotechnology, biotechnology and information technology. With nanotechnology, he said, itís feasible to use brain implants to moderate behavior or brain functioning; he also discussed a developing field that focuses on remote sensing of brain function, including the intention to commit deception [Progress toward such systems was reported here on 13 November 2001.]
ìThere are two sides to the sword of science and technology, and as we move forward there is no way we can stop any advance from happening, but we should be aware of the implications and the possibilities,î he said, ìand long before these things happen we ought to think about, 'What are the rules?' î

Future nanotubes use?

Richard B. Cathcart writes "The World Development Federation's FIRST Virtual Global Super Projects Conference has many interesting reports posted at its temparary WWW site–available probably through the end of December 2001. GO TO: www.conway.com/wdf/gspc/virtual2001. In Session #3 a molecular nanotechnology-produced super-rope is proposed a a means to block the Strait of Gibraltar with a tensioned-fabric curtain. Such protective submarine screen would be made even more effective if it were held in place with braided nanotubes."

Computer model simulates neurological functions

from the computational-neuroscience dept.
According to a press release (17 December 2001) researchers funded by the Cognitive and Neural Sciences Division at the Office of Naval Research (ONR) are working to reverse engineer certain brain functions in order to produce a machine or system that might mimic some of the brainís capabilities. They announce they have been able to simulate mammalian brain function using biologically realistic, highly detailed computer models of individual brain neurons and their assemblies. From this research they are learning how the architecture and physiological properties of cells in the brain (the primary visual cortex) integrate visual cues for target recognition.
ìRight now weíre building a cellular-level model of a small piece of visual cortex,î says Dr. Leif Finkel, head of the University of Pennsylvaniaís Neuroengineering Research Lab. ìItís a very detailed computer simulation which reflects with some accuracy at least the basic operations of real neurons.î His colleague, Kwabena Boahen, is building VLSI computer chips that reproduce cortical wiring and many of the properties of the cells. ìHe has a chip that accurately models the retina and produces output spikes that closely match real retinae. We hope someday that these can be used as retinal implants.î

Nanotech down under

from the World-Watch dept.
An article in The Australian ("Surprise gift for UQ", by Dorothy Illing, 12 December 2001), a national newspaper in that country, reports that an anonymous donor from the United States has given the University of Queensland a $17.5 million gift towards a nanotechnology institute. The same philanthropist has already put at least $10 million into the university's $105 million Institute for Molecular Bioscience. The $50 million Australian Institute of Bio-Engineering and Nanotechnology also will get $15 million from UQ's budget. The institute will bring together scientists working in nanotechnology, biomaterials, tissue engineering, neuroscience and bioengineering.
The University of Technology Sydney reports (16 December 2001) it will strengthen its nanotechnology programs, under the leadership of Acting Director of the Institute for Nanoscale Technology, Dr Grant Griffiths. UTS will attempt to match its programs with industry needs, introduce two new undergraduate degrees, and recruit Honours and PhD research students to a range of new industry-sponsored nanotechnology projects.
And a new portal linking to nanotechnology-related sites sponsored by the Australian government was spotted by John Dalton, who writes "I just found Nanotechnology in Australia. It is intended to be a central entry point to Australian efforts in nanotechnology."

China seeks leadership in carbon nanotube technology

from the World-Watch dept.
An extensive article on the Small Times website ("China, emboldened by breakthroughs, sets out to become nanotech power", by Jen Lin-Liu, 17 December 2001) describes recent advances in the production of carbon nanotubes in China, and discusses the overall direction and strategies of Chinese nanotechnology programs:
"In laboratories across China, researchers at universities are intensely studying the potential of nanotubes and nanowires ñ some reporting breakthroughs that have escaped the West. The scientists, most of whom have interdisciplinary backgrounds in chemistry, physics and engineering, are first seeing how far they can stretch their imaginations before they translate their discoveries into practical applications. China plans to intensify research in the field, aiming to prove that the country has the potential to become a powerhouse in nanotechnology."

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