The new Center for Nanotechnology in Society at Arizona State University has their website up. The Center’s director, David Guston, has some comments in his blog [links added]: “It is also this realm of Engines of Creation and “Plenty of Room at the Bottom” where scientists allowed their minds to take flight and speak of… Continue reading CNS director on choosing a nanotech future
We earlier covered informal comments by Sonia Arrison of PRI, but the organization also has an official press release on the recent widely-publicized Wilson Center report calling for regulation of nanotechnology. Some excerpts: “The Pacific Research Institute (PRI), a California-based free-market think tank, has challenged the conclusions reached by a recent report released by the… Continue reading Pacific Research Institute disputes prominent Wilson Center nano report
Photonics.com gives an overview of speakers on atomically precise fabrication at the Photonics West conference. An excerpt: “Mark Lurie and Eric Drexler of the Foresight Nanotechnology Institute, a nanotechnology think tank and public interest organization, and Tom Hausken of Strategies Unlimited, a technology-focused market research and strategic planning company, appeared before a packed auditorium at… Continue reading Goal of nanotech: atomically precise manufacturing
From Nanotechwire.com: “Chemists at Italy’s University of Bologna, UCLA and the California NanoSystems Institute have designed and constructed a molecular motor of nanometer size that does not consume fuels; their nano motor is powered only by sunlight…The nano motor can work continuously without any external interference, and operates without consuming or generating chemical fuels or… Continue reading US-Italy team builds molecular motor powered by sunlight
A brief nanotech white paper from Cientifica (registration req’d — press oblong “download” button on left to get reg screen) explains the reason why government research spending on nanotech takes a while to reach commercial use. From the conclusion: “Given the two to three year lag between funding being granted and a laboratory starting work,… Continue reading Don't judge a nanotech white paper by its cover
Los Angeles will be the place to be March 29-30 when the Society of Manufacturing Engineers holds its Nanomanufacturing Conference. Keynoting will be Eric Drexler on “Engineering from the Bottom Up – Productive Nanosystems and the Future of Technology”. Also not to be missed: Foresight director Jim Von Ehr of Zyvex on “Assembly Pathway to… Continue reading Nanomanufacturing VIPs to present on March 29-30
A prominent new report on nanoparticle safety issues from the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars is generating a bit of controversy. Author J. Clarence Davies, a former EPA Administrator, advocates new federal legislation, while others see the situation differently. From a Chicago Tribune article: “Davies said that because nanoparticles behave differently than traditional materials,… Continue reading Controversy over proposed U.S. nanotech regulatory legislation
Nanofilm president Scott Rickert, a Foresight Participating Member, advises firms on how to integrate near-term nanotech into their products in a piece on the Industry Week site. He also gives advice on nano-jobs, which should not have nanoscale salaries: “According to National Science Foundation estimates, the US will need 800,000 to 1 million nanotechnology workers… Continue reading Nanofilm president inspires at Industry Week
Dr. Anita Goel, who won the 1999 Foresight Distinguished Student Award, went on to earn a PhD and MD from Harvard/MIT and then founded her own company, Nanobiosym. She explains the motivation and process in a Technology Review article: “More than 10 years ago, as a physics undergraduate at Stanford University, I fell in love… Continue reading Nanobiosym founding explored in Technology Review
For a lighter moment here at Nanodot, we look at nanotechnology from the Socialist Worker perspective: “Capitalism, forever in search of updated means of production, has seized upon nanotechnology as a panacea for its present ills and invested huge amounts in research programmes…The possibilities offered by nanotechnology and nanoscience have been hyped to attract investors… Continue reading Socialist view of nanotechnology
