Donate
Donate

Gaming the Future: The Book!

Category: Nanodot

Nano-lightning May Cool Future Chips

Jerry Fass writes "A Purdue University team has created a lithographically produced cooling microtechnology, with some nanometer size parts. As with many other micron scale systems, the prefix 'nano' is being used in some descriptions of it: 'Nano-lightning' could be harnessed to cool future computers… The device uses micro scale ion driven airflow, a weakly ionized plasma, to drive cooling air currents. Such principles may be useful if scaled down to molecular nanotechnology sizes, for cooling, or maybe propulsion."

A DNA Walking Robot

Roland Piquepaille writes "Two chemists from New York University, William B. Sherman and Nadrian C. Seeman, have created a DNA nanowalker with two legs, each one being 10-nanometers long. This nanoscale bipedal robot moves from one pair of anchors — strands of DNA — to another one. This is a major breakthrough for nanoscale manufacturing. And New Scientist says this opens the way for future nanoscopic robots that will assemble other nanomachines or manipulate individual molecules. Obviously, this is still at the experimental stage. Even the researchers don't say when such nanowalkers will be able to do some real work. More details are available in this overview."

Lessons from Japan's Atom Technology Project

Christine Peterson writes to point to an interview of Kazunobu Tanaka, Board trustee, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), with suggestions for developing nanotechnology as a key industry in Japan: "'Dr. Tanaka says nanotechnology in Japan will not make any progress unless project leaders and researchers with a wide outlook are brought up. He adds that the master plan for developing nanotechnology in Japan should be discussed from the mid- and long-term viewpoint by young researchers with strong physical and intellectual ability.' Sounds right to us, for other countries too."

Nanomedicine, Vol. IIA: Biocompatibility available online

The second volume in the Nanomedicine book series by Robert A. Freitas Jr., Nanomedicine, Vol. IIA: Biocompatibility, is now freely available online in its entirety at http://www.nanomedicine.com/NMIIA.htm First published in hardcover by Landes Bioscience in 2003, this comprehensive technical book describes the many possible mechanical, physiological, immunological, cytological, and biochemical responses of the human body to the in vivo introduction of medical nanodevices, especially medical nanorobots.

More Nano Weapons to Fight Cancer

Roland Piquepaille writes "In this article, the MIT Technology Review says that different new nanotools will help us to diagnose or kill cancerous tumors. 'Nanoshells' invented at Rice University could become an alternative to chemotherapy by killing only cancerous cells after injection into patients' bloodstream. And nanoparticles created at the University of Washington in Seattle could be used to noninvasively diagnose and treat brain tumors. Meanwhile, a biochemist from Brigham Young University has developed "a method for examining mutations in DNA to determine a person?s genetic predisposition for developing cancer." This overview contains more details and a diagram showing how nanoshells are conjugated with antibodies to kill cancerous cells. [Note: Previous results about nanoshells were reported here by Nanodot in February.]"

Nanoparticles used to destroy tumors (in mice)

Triton's nanotechnology designed to take on tumors; Last month the Boston Business Journal reported that Triton BioSystems Inc. was attempting to raise additional financing to adapt to cancer treatment its military welding technology, in which a magnetic device is used to heat nanoparticles, thus welding together polymers to effect battlefield repairs. In the cancer treatment system, so far only tested in mice, the metallic nanoparticles would be coated with a monoclonal antibody so that they localize in a tumor, and then the magnetic device would be used to heat the nanoparticles, thus destroying the tumor without using radiation or harsh chemicals.

Is the NNI only about chemistry and materials?

Rosa Wang writes about Howard Lovy's comments [and also here] on the NNI Conference and nanotechnology funding priorities, and suggests that "some broad publicity might encourage other scientists to air their frustrations with the NNI's current priorities (perhaps to Howard Lovy?) as well as hilight some of the problems with having one centralized source of funding."

Nanosys to go public: $115 million offering

Christine Peterson writes, commenting on the news that Nanosys files papers for IPO. "Nanosys is one of the most prominent nanotech startups, and is planning an IPO, despite having no products: 'We do not anticipate that our first products will be commercially available for at least several years, if at all.' This is probably the beginning of the nano 'boom', which in venture capital cycles is eventually followed by a 'bust'. Let's just hope that it's a normal cycle and not an immense dot.com-style boom/bust."

Nanotechnology initiative at MIT

David Lackner writes with news of the MIT School of Engineering's Tiny Technologies Initiative. In addition to more generic nanoscale science projects, the research includes Nano-Mechanical Systems: "Examples of exciting projects include tiny microturbines, artificial muscles, and a nanorobot designed to manipulate individual molecules on materials' surfaces."

Nanotechnology a high priority for Pentagon

"Pentagon official says nanotechnology a high priority" reports that Clifford Lau, the senior science adviser in the Pentagon's office of basic research, said "Nanotechnology is one of the highest priority science and technology programs in the Defense Department," with the Pentagon spending $315 million in fiscal 2004 on all nanotechnology research. The specific projects cited are all near-term nanoscale science projects, mostly materials, like lightweight, radar-resistant nanocomposite materials for airframes and coatings to eliminate barnacle buildup on submarines. Foresight Founder and President Christine L. Peterson adds "This piece mentions that 'Pentagon interest in nanotechnology dates to the 1980s'. We at Foresight can back this up, as we were the only ones discussing nanotechnology back then, and we did indeed hear from military types quite early on."

Facebook Twitter Youtube Linkedin Podcast Spotify
0
    0
    Your Cart
    Your cart is emptyReturn to Shop
    Continue Shopping

      Search Foresight Institute