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Gaming the Future: The Book!

Category: news

Mussel protein crosslinking agent

Senior Associate RobertBradbury writes "Eurekalert has a story about scientists at Purdue who are starting to unravel how mussels can stick to almost anything. It appears that iron is used as an essential crosslinking agent between the protein(s) in the adhesive. The common crosslinking agent in proteins is sulfur but the bonds may be weaker than those that iron provides. This may give nanotechnology oriented chemists an additional strategy for producing cross-linked polymers to develop Stages 2 & 3 of one nanotechnology development path as discussed by Drexler in Table 16.1 of Nanosystems."

Tracking nanotech in Japan

Those attempting to track nanotech in Japan may want to check out NanoNet, the website of the Nanotechnology Researchers Network Center of Japan. To get their every-other-weekly e-newsletter, subscribe here. Also very useful is the Asian Technology Information Program — which appears not to be loading at the moment — but most of their information is not free. Both cover more nanoscale than MNT.

Molecular memory startup gains Intel co-founder

Foresight Senior Associate Steve Jurvetson let us know of molecular memory start-up ZettaCore's coup: getting Intel co-founder Les Vadasz onto their board of directors. Said Vadasz: "I haven't joined any other boards since retiring…This was the only one I thought could have a high-enough impact that it piqued my interest." Jurvetson's firm DFJ is an investor in ZettaCore.

Reynolds on EPA nanotech meeting

In addition to the CRN presentation already reported here, Foresight director and law prof Glenn Reynolds presented at the recent EPA meeting and gives his report on Tech Central Station: "I noted that only in the final category ['true Molecular Nanotechnology'] did serious ethical or regulatory issues appear, and also noted that the recent flood of 'it's impossible' claims relating to 'spooky' nanotechnology seems to have more to do with fear of ethical or regulatory scrutiny than anything else. I won't waste too many pixels on my own views here, because you can read the article in draft here." The article will be published in the Harvard Journal of Law and Technology.

CRN Makes Presentation to EPA

Mike Treder writes "CRN's Director of Research, Chris Phoenix, was in Washington DC yesterday (Dec. 11) for an appearance before the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Science Advisory Board. The EPA is assessing potential environmental impacts of nanotechnology, and they invited Chris to participate on a panel along with other experts. We've posted a new web page that outlines the information Chris presented, and goes into greater depth on selected subjects. It's at http://www.crnano.org/EPAhandout.htm"

Let the Nanotech Wars Begin!

David B. Hughes writes "The debate over whether molecular manufacturing and nanoassemblers are feasible has turned into a PR war. With billions of dollars of research funding and industrial profits at stake, both sides are taking their ideological clash to the public. So far, Eric Drexler and the Foresight Institute own the moral and scientific high ground. But his critics at the National Nanotechnology Initiative hold the purse strings. And they don't play by the same rules."

IBM hails nano chip-making method

AndreasLigtvoet writes "IBM has trumpeted a nanotech method for making microchip components which it says should enable electronic devices to continue to get smaller and faster. See the story at BBC."

Self-Assembling DNA/CNT transistors in Israel

Patrick writes " A functional electronic nano-device has been manufactured using biological self-assembly for the first time"

Nanofibers Evolving From Drop Break-up?

Roland Piquepaille writes "Engineers and physicists working together have discovered that under certain conditions liquid drops and gas bubbles were breaking at two separate points instead of one, leaving an extremely thin thread in between. This could lead to the creation of nanofibers and nanowires and to numerous applications, such as new kinds of composite materials, electronic circuits and pharmaceutical products. Nanotechweb.org reports on this discovery in "Nanowires drop out of fluid research." I'm not totally convinced that this discovery can lead to solid industrial processes, but it sure looks promising. You'll find more details and references in this overview which also includes an image of the break-up of a water drop in oil."

Royal Society report

qftconnor writes: Readers might be interested in skimming through the recent Royal Society report Nanotechnology: views of Scientists and Engineers. I found the parts labeled 'Science Fiction' to be particularly entertaining. A typical remark: "Nanorobots ñ the biocomplexity of putting a nanorobot in the body to enter and repair cells has been massively overestimated [sic]. ëWeíll never know enough to go in and cure a cellí. This scenario also fails to recognise that the emphasis in health care is on developing non-invasive techniques and essentially persuading the body to heal itself." Sure."

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