Category: Meetings & Conferences

Ralph Merkle, Foresight Vice President for Technology Assessment and Principal Fellow at Zyvex Corporation, will be speaking at the following upcoming events:

• May 9, 2002 (Rockville, Maryland): Merkle will speak on "Nanotechnology and replicating manufacturing systems" at the TIGR Distinguished Lecture Series: Defining the Boundaries of 21st Century Science.
• May 15, 2002 (San Jose, CA): Merkle will give a keynote address on "Nanotechnology: Near And Long Term Possibilities" at the Nanotech Planet Spring 2002 Conference and Expo.

Comments and presentations made at a recent nanotechnology symposium sponsored by the U.S. National Science Foundation (ìSmall Wonders: Exploring the Vast Potential of Nanoscienceî), held 19 March 2002 in Washington, D.C., generated considerable media attention:

• An item on the Small Times website ("Small Wonders conference: Self assembly is the key to unlocking nanoís potential", by Doug Brown, 20 March 2002) says ìNanotechnology luminaries spent the day in the nationís capital [19 March] publicly exploring the scienceís frontiers during a crowded conference aimed at shoring up support for nanotechnology basic research and development, much of which is funded by the federal government.î
• Another item on the Small Times site ("Nanotechnologyís potential needs decades of work before itís realized, expert panel says", by Candace Stuart, 19 March 2002) reports that a panel of "nanotechnology leaders" speaking at the symposium said not to expect much from nanotechnology in the short term. The report says the experts opined that "Nanotechnology probably has decades to go before promise becomes product; but if and when it does, the impact could be staggering."
• An article from United Press International ("NSF event paints broad nanotech picture", by Scott R. Burnell, 19 March 2002).
• A report by Ronald Bailey appears on the Reason Magazine website ("Small Wonders: The National Science Foundation Promotes Nanotechnology", 20 March 2002).

There are also some photographic images of the event, taken by Peter West of the National Science Foundation, available online at the NSF website.

A pair of articles provides early coverage of the Nanoventures 2002 conference held in Dallas, Texas, 6-8 March 2002.

• An article on the Small Times website ("Nanoventures 2002: Science in cool, but the profits will soon turn hot", by John Carroll, 8 March 2002) provides a quick series of capsule comments, mostly from execs at firms attempting to bring nano-structured materials to market.
• An item from the Dallas Morning News ("Nanotech: Texas' next big thing?", by S. Reddy, 8 March 2002) is a very unfocused piece that doesnít say much, but does provide some interesting quotes:
  "The speed of nanotech is going to be faster than any technology we've ever encountered," said Jim Von Her, founder and CEO of Zyvex Corp. Commenting on the rate of advance in the field since he founded his company, Von Ehr said, "I expected it to be fast growth, but I am almost flabbergasted by the speed of development."
  [Note: Access to the DMN website is free, but you have to register.]

from the how-to dept.
The University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) Extension program and the California NanoSystems Institute (CNSI) will present a three-day short course on "Integrating BioMEMS and Nanotechnology into a Commercial Product" on the UCLA campus in Los Angeles, from 15 to 17 April 2002. The course will present state-of-the-art research and technology in microelectromechanical systems (MEMs) and nanotechnology, with specific emphasis and applications in the biomedical field, and look at research into the construction of a hybrid organic/inorganic nanoscale systems, the basic mechanics of motor protein motion, and the technological foundation for functionally integrating manufactured devices. Four CNSI professors, James Gimzewski, James Heath, Carlo Montemagno, and Chih-Ming Ho, will participate and lecture on the various technologies. The course will address the commercialization of bio-MEMs and nanotechnology and the involvement of small and large companies within this emerging field.

The course fee is $1395. For more information on the course and registration, go to the course web page.