Richard Jones, a physicist in the UK and author of the book: Soft Machines: nanotechnology and life, has a rather extensive blog detailing a number of aspects of the debate between the ETC Group, CRN, Drexlerites (esp. Merkle & Freitas) and the majority of nanoscale scientists at this time.
Well worth a look.
Christine Peterson has pointed out that the ETC group is making noise again about "nanoparticles" in our food. In line with their general perspective they claim "In keeping with the Precautionary Principle, all food, feed and beverage products (including nutritional supplements) that incorporate manufactured nanoparticles should be removed from the shelves and new ones prohibited from commercialisation until such time as laboratory protocols and regulatory regimes are in place that take into account the special characteristics of these materials, and until they are shown to be safe."
See: Down on the Farm: The Impact of Nano-scale Technologies on Food and Agriculture.
In an effort to make nanodot a more concentrated news resource we have added a number of new block summaries that users may choose to add to their nanodot homepages. More…
Christine Peterson has pointed out an item from Howard Lovy's Nanobot regarding Further Info on Nanotech Action in Leeds.
It looks like the European GMO perspective is starting to spill over into nanotechnology. Obviously an education problem here as it seems that the anti-nanotech forces don't seem to realize that nanotechnology can help clean up the existing problems as well as reduce future problems.
How does one make it clear to people that reality is going to evolve and they had best evolve with it?
Emeka Okafor writes "PhysOrg comments on a breakthrough in the path towards DNA computing, with implications in the field of molecular construction methods: "…Caltech assistant professor Erik Winfree and his colleagues show that DNA "tiles" can be programmed to assemble themselves into a crystal bearing a pattern of progressively smaller "triangles within triangles," known as a Sierpinski triangle. This fractal pattern is more complex than patterns found in natural crystals because it never repeats…" More…
WilliamDye writes "A few weeks ago, the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha announced that it was forming a Center for Drug Delivery and Nanomedicine. The new center was briefly discussed in a recent newspaper article in the Lincoln (Nebraska) Journal-Star. Unfortunately, the use of the term "nanomedicine" at the new center does not appear to be in the realm of what many NanoDot readers would consider to be true Nanomedicine, but as with the current popular usage of the term "nanotechnology", perhaps the present initiatives will eventually lead to the earlier, more powerful concepts."
Christine Peterson has pointed out AzoNano.com which is a new Online Journal of Nanotechnology which is a collaboration between AZoM.com PTY. Ltd. in Australia and The Institute of Nanotechnology in the U.K.
A brief review of the book list seems to suggest their primary focus is on nanomaterials rather than on molecular nanotechnology. For example, Nanosystems and Nanomedicine Vol. I are not included. More…
WillWare writes "I saw the preliminary animation at the October conference. It's an incredible aid to visualizing and discussing the ideas of molecular manufacturing. The DVD can help wealthy, influential people wrap their brains around the feasibility and the benefits and thereby vastly expedite development. Every Nanodot reader is a stakeholder in the future, so it might be smart to put our ideas where Foresight can see them."
The NanoAging Institute writes "There is a nice article mentioning nanomedicine on The New York Time, here is a excerpt from the article:Nanomedicine will probably become the biggest change for humans in our society but when?
There is more extensive discussion on the development of various aspects of nanotechnology for use in medicine as well as cryonics here."
Brian Wang writes "South Korean scientists found a simple way to produce high-purity single-walled carbon nanotubes en masse, the vital materials for nanotechnology, under ambient conditions.
Until now, scientists created the substances at high temperatures ranging from 700 to 2,000 degrees Celsius. But the yield rate was still below 70 percent and purity was between 70 to 95 percent, even after multi-step purification processes.
By contrast, Park's team used the chemical effects of ultrasound and a liquid solution to make nanotubes at atmospheric pressure and room temperature.
The newfound method worked handsomely as it enabled volume production of high-purity nanotubes without a purification process and its yield rate also improved to more than 90 percent. Mass Production of Carbon Nanotube Becomes Possible"
