As a battery engineer’s daughter, I appreciate how hard it is to make a better battery. Now Technology Review reports that some MIT researchers are taking a different approach: make a better capacitor. Excerpts: “The new technology, developed at MIT’s Laboratory for Electromagnetic and Electronic Systems, should improve ultracapacitors by swapping in carbon nanotubes, thereby… Continue reading Nanotech ultracapacitors from MIT
Given how the word “nanoparticle” is often defined, one could say that a lot of our food is naturally made of nanoparticles. But industry needs guidelines on which new nanoparticles are safe to put in foods and food packaging. Current regulations address such substances by chemical makeup, not size — and size makes a difference… Continue reading Nanofood: independent guidelines issued
From today’s Altair Nanotechnologies press release: “The president and CEO of Altair Nanotechnologies (Altairnano), today urged the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation to provide increased federal funding for nanotechnology, suggesting that the initiative could be compared to the man-on-the-moon or Human Genome projects… “As for the chemical/biological sensors, Altairnano continues its work with… Continue reading Nanosurveillance to detect illegal drugs
Check out the Wilson Center website this Thursday, February 16, at 2-3 PM Eastern time for the first event of the Green Nano series, sponsored by the Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies: “The GreenNano series aims to advance development of clean technologies using nanotechnology, to minimize the environmental and human health risks associated with the manufacture… Continue reading Live webcast on Green Nano this Thursday
The report from the September 2005 workshop on The Nanotechnology-Biology Interface: Exploring Models for Oversight has been issued today by the Hubert H. Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs. In addition to the usual nanoparticle safety discussions, the report touches on bigger issues. From the press release: “The report also calls for more conversation about nanotechnology… Continue reading Nanobio governance: exploring models for oversight
For a fun-and-easy introduction to biological nanotechnology, check out the Gulf of Maine Research Institute’s site on the topic. It includes coverage of some of the controversies. The site is a heavy user of Flash — those on dial-up connections may find it too slow. (Credit: Alan Lishness, the Institute’s Director of Innovation) —Christine
NanoChina is a new website and service provided by the UK-based Institute of Nanotechnology. If you’re interested in tracking nano in China — and what Nanodot reader isn’t? — you can sign up for their free associate membership and get their e-newsletter at no charge. (Not to be confused with NanoChina.com.) Also useful is the… Continue reading NanoChina: Free associate membership
Whether to have an undergrad major in nanotechnology is controversial, but many students are interested. To those wanting to get started now, we say, “Go north, young man or woman, to University of Waterloo”: “The Nanotechnology Engineering honours undergraduate degree program at UW is designed to provide a practical education in key areas of nanotechnology,… Continue reading Nanotech Engineering for undergrads
Los Angeles will be the place to be March 29-30 when the Society of Manufacturing Engineers holds its Nanomanufacturing Conference. Keynoting will be Eric Drexler on “Engineering from the Bottom Up – Productive Nanosystems and the Future of Technology”. Also not to be missed: Foresight director Jim Von Ehr of Zyvex on “Assembly Pathway to… Continue reading Nanomanufacturing VIPs to present on March 29-30
Nanofilm president Scott Rickert, a Foresight Participating Member, advises firms on how to integrate near-term nanotech into their products in a piece on the Industry Week site. He also gives advice on nano-jobs, which should not have nanoscale salaries: “According to National Science Foundation estimates, the US will need 800,000 to 1 million nanotechnology workers… Continue reading Nanofilm president inspires at Industry Week
