This week I’m attending the Institute for the Future’s meeting titled Beyond the Horizon: Science & Technology in Ten, Twenty & Fifty Years. Overall, it’s great and I recommend it. Reminds me of Foresight’s Vision Weekends. Tomorrow I’ll be presenting our Technology Roadmap for Productive Nanosystems project at one of the breakouts. The meeting was… Continue reading IFTF predicts nanotech 50 years out
Given the increasing protest from U.S. voters over the growing problem of “pork” spending by Congress, it behooves us in the nanotech field to develop criteria for nanotech projects. Here’s an example from the May 2006 Forbes/Wolfe Nanotech Report (similar report in Milwaukee Business Journal): “Department of Commerce Funding: Chippewa Valley Technical College Funding Announced:… Continue reading Wise nanoeducation investment or nano-pork?
In addition to the May 30 webcast on nanotech for space elevator applications, see this Wednesday a webcast from the Wilson Center on Green Nanotechnology policy: “What policy incentives can they put in place to encourage a ‘green’ nanotechnology industry that uses energy efficiently and produces minimum waste? What can government do to promote development… Continue reading Green Nanotech webcast this Wednesday
As described — briefly, as one would expect — in the May 2006 Nanotech Briefs (subscription only), the EU is funding a nanomotor construction kit project. From their press release: “A promising interdisciplinary approach combines research methods of biology, physics, chemistry, computing, system theory and engineering into a “synthetic biology”. The EU has also recognised… Continue reading Europeans to make construction kit of tailored nanomotor components
Upcoming on Tuesday, May 30, 2006, at 12:30 PM Eastern time (9:30 AM West Coast time in U.S.) is a meeting and webcast at the prestigious Wilson Center on the topic of using nanotech to build a space elevator. Michael Laine, founder and president of Liftport, Inc., who spoke on this topic at last fall’s… Continue reading Webcast May 30: Nanotech for space elevator
The leading semiconductor equipment industry association has taken a strong stand (one-page pdf) against new U.S. nanotech export controls: “SEMI is concerned about possible new export controls on nanotechnology products and cautions against further controls until this technology is better defined. “Nanotechnology should not be controlled simply because it is nanotechnology. This label is often… Continue reading New nanotech export controls opposed
Nanofilm president (and Foresight participating member) Scott Rickert writes in Industry Week of the changes taking place as nanotechnology moves into the automobile. A couple of excerpts: “What about getting more mileage out of the fuel itself? Nano-lubricants can reduce friction, converting engine power to motion instead of heat. In fact, some predict that nanocoatings… Continue reading Nanotech moves into the automobile
Here at Foresight we get continual requests from students for advice on which schools to attend to pursue nanotechnology. Small Times has generously posted their second annual survey of U.S. universities’ abilities in nano and micro work. (Or, download the whole May/June issue in pdf, 5.5 MB — this is easier to read.) It’s a… Continue reading Top nanotech universities in U.S. named
From PhysOrg.com, coverage of work published in Advanced Materials [abstract]: “A team of chemists from France, Italy, Spain, the UK, and the US are working together to bridge the gap between nanoscience and nanotechnology. They have now devised a method that could allow them to organize tiny molecular machines on a surface and so build… Continue reading Molecular machine film changes chemical to electrical signal
Judy Conner here at Foresight points out that today is Richard Feynman’s birthday — he would have been 88. Sadly, he died at age 69 instead, of cancer. I was fortunate enough to have heard him lecture and interact informally with students at Caltech; he made you understand physics, or at least feel that you… Continue reading Feynman's Birthday today: read his classic talk, then nominate for Feynman Prize
