DNA springs mechanically control an enzymatic reactions by exerting force on specific parts of the enzyme molecule.
Unique properties of two-dimensional arrays of carbon atoms promise both immediate applications and advantages for the development of advanced nanotechnology.
An IEEE Spectrum podcast asks the question, Why Are Terrorists Often Engineers? The blurb: With terrorism back in the news, so, too, is a curious footnote: Of the hundreds of individuals involved in political violence, nearly half of those with degrees have been engineers. This finding, first published in 2008, has been substantiated by two… Continue reading Why terrorists are often engineers: implications for nanotechnology
We have reports from a couple of Foresight members who have toured the Allosphere, part of the California NanoSystems Institute at UC Santa Barbara, and it sounds truly impressive. From their website: The AlloSphere, a 30-foot diameter sphere built inside a 3-story near-to-anechoic (echo free) cube, allows for synthesis, manipulation, exploration and analysis of large-scale… Continue reading Check out the Allosphere at California NanoSystems Institute, UCSB
Projects exist for aggregating personal computers into one large project for various worthy purposes, from space to biology research, some nanotech-related such a protein folding. Now IBM has a similar project with the goal of developing nanotechnologies for clean water. From Grist.org: In China, Tsinghua University researchers, with the help of Australian and Swiss scientists,… Continue reading Donate your laptop time to nanotech R&D for clean water
Nanodot normally focuses on longer-term nanotechnologies such as molecular manufacturing, but we do like to keep an eye on how different countries compare to each other in nanotech and technology in general. Below is an excerpt from a recent Lux Research announcement; you can read the full PDF here: U.S. Risks Losing Global Leadership in… Continue reading Japan, Germany, S. Korea commercialize nanotech better than U.S.
Forbes describes work at IBM Zurich: IBM researchers in its Zurich lab have drawn–or rather, carved–a three-dimensional map of the world that’s 22 micrometers east to west by 11 micrometers north to south. At that size, about 15 of the maps could be wrapped end to end long-ways around a strand of human hair, by… Continue reading IBM makes world map 1000 times smaller than grain of sand
Longtime Foresight supporter John Gilmore writes: “I noticed a story that reminded me of something Foresight wanted to encourage in society. Wired reports that the CIA uses decision analysis software ‘Analysis of Competing Hypotheses’, and has funded a rewritten version for shared networked analysis by many people. But the gov’t contractors got into a hassle… Continue reading "Science court"-style software from the CIA
Many of you have an interest in human longevity in general and in being healthier and living longer personally. If we want to help develop and guide nanotech and other advanced technologies, we need to stay healthy. I am organizing a conference on this topic, October 9-10, here in the Bay Area: http://lifeextensionconference.com You will… Continue reading Life extension conference: $100 off discount code
Many of you will recall Bill Joy’s famous article in Wired called Why the future doesn’t need us, where he expressed concern about various technologies including advanced nanotech. Apparently he gave an update of his views on this in his talk for TED, viewable here. An excerpt: So if we can address, use technology, help… Continue reading Bill Joy on steering the future to lower-risk
