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Gaming the Future: The Book!

Category: Nanodot

Nanotech mutual fund?

from the let's-put-our-money-where-our-mouths-are dept.
eeex writes "I am wondering as to what the Nanodot community thinks of establishing a mutual fund for investing in stocks of nanotech companies and companies in related areas. Would people invest in such a thing or is it still too early?…Are there enough companies out there doing real nanotech research to justify setting up some sort of mutual fund or at least an investment club/partnership? And more to the point, is there anyone out there actively trying to set up such a fund?" CP: Yes, one or two of the Foresight Senior Associates are looking into doing this. Read more for the full post.

Microsoft exec says Open Source stifles innovation

from the depends-how-you-define-innovation dept.
Foresight Director of Communications Tanya Jones writes "In an article on CNET (also seen on Slashdot), Microsoft executive Jim Allchin is quoted as saying that: 'freely distributed software code such as rival Linux could stifle innovation and that legislators need to understand the threat.' Has Microsoft neglected to consider that Open Source is a voluntary movement and that some intellectual property cannot be regulated (like the joys of building something cool) or perhaps this is just another attempt to stifle competition." CP: You have to admire that company's chutzpah, if not their products.

Casimir force used by MEMS, will affect nanotech

from the top-down-pathway dept.
ScienceExpress, an online preprint service (login req'd) of Science magazine, published on Feb. 8 a report from Bell Labs/Lucent that MEMS can exploit the Casimir force. Coauthor Federico Capasso was quoted in the Feb. 10 Science News: "Capasso speculates that makers of MEMS and even tinier nanoelectromechanical systems may find ways to harness the Casimir force in 5 to 15 years…the experiment also indicates that the Casimir effect may become problematic for designers of tiny machines, says Paul J. McWhorter of MEMX…" CP: What's problematic to some may be a fun challenge to others — anyone care to give their view on this? Read more for the abstract.

1-click patent suit: Barnes&Noble win a round

from the what's-obvious? dept.

A federal appeals court declared that "BN has mounted a substantial challenge to the validity of the patent in the suit." The case has been sent back for further proceedings. The Internet E-Newsarticle is discussed on Slashdot, where "Artagel" gave a link to the court decision. Cases like this are defining what can be turned into intellectual property.

Weeds vanquish GM crops

from the apocalypse-not dept.

An AP report "Study eases fears of modified plants" says "A 10-year look at genetically modified crops found that they survive no better than their conventional cousins, easing fears that superplants could stray from farm fields and crowd out natural species." The original report was published in Nature [subscription required] "Transgenic crops in natural habitats." The Economist [subscription required] reported on "Genetically modified weaklings."

IMHO, there are parallels to the issue of the likely fragility and vulnerability of future nanomachines in natural environments. Alarmism about "superweeds" has some analogies to the fixation on "gray goo" dangers, rather than taking a broader view of safety issues in desiging nanomachines. – Bryan

Room temperature molecular switch

from the tinker-toys-taking-off dept.
Charles Vollum writes "Researchers at UCLA have come up with a reconfigurable molecular switch that works in a solid state at room temperature." According to a UPI article. " 'We feel that we truly have a line-of-site toward manufacturing an extremely powerful and efficient molecular based computing machine,' said team leader James Heath, professor of chemistry at UCLA and scientific co-director of the recently created California NanoSystems Institute."

Wiring Up Nanoelectronics

from the twice-as-nice-for-bottom-up dept.
In Wiring Up Nanoelectronics, in MIT's Technology Review, Alan Leo writes "In the race to create ever-tinier electronic devices, nanowires are looking like a better bet. This month a team of Harvard researchers disclosed that they had created several functional nanoscale semiconductor devices, including the world's smallest bipolar transistor. Using silicon nanowires, semiconductive filaments only 20 nanometers wide, researchers in the lab of Harvard professor Charles Lieber also built a nanoscale diode and an inverter, the first devices ever assembled from both positive- and negative-type nanoscale semiconductors."

Can we have "some" regulation of nanotech?

from the strategies-for-survival dept.
ChrisPhoenix writes "Human societies have felt the need to regulate, or try to regulate, many different kinds of technologies. All of these technologies have been far less powerful than a mature nanotechnology. Is regulation of nanotech a good idea? If so, what form could it take? If not, is it preventable? Is limited, effective regulation a possibility?"

Read more for the rest of Chris's essay and invitation to discussion.

Bill Joy speaking in SF Wed. 2/14/01

from the but-will-they-relinquish-when-you-tell-them-to dept.
ChrisPhoenix writes "Bill Joy will be speaking about "Genomics, Robotics, and Nanotechnology: Science and Religion Converse on the Shape of the Future" on Wednesday February 14, 2001, 7:30 p.m. at Grace Cathedral, 1051 Taylor St., Gresham Hall, Rooms 150-250, San Francisco. Details are at ctns.org. They'll have panel responses from several scientists, a theologian, and an ethicist. The event is put on by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS, publishers of Science) and by the Center for Theology and the Natural Sciences.

After you go to the talk, come back here and comment on it! Personally, I'm very interested in whether Mr. Joy has developed any viable plans yet for enforcing the limitations he wants to place on technology. Chris"

Digital manufacturing: "Napster Fabbing"

from the P2P-4-3D dept.
Matthew Gream writes "Slashdot records and comments upon a presentation, "Napster Fabbing: Internet Delivery of Physical Products" about what is 'in principle' an early stage of nano-tech based replication." The page links to two more papers on Atoms from Bits: The Digital Revolution in Manufacturing and The Origins and Direction of the Fabricator Revolution. The Slashdot discussion includes perceptive comments from some people with experience in the field, as well as "it won't work" doubters and true believers. Read More for Matthew's comments.

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