from the "pressure-cooker-stage"? dept.
An accessible overview of future computing hardware is available at Popular Science: "Nanocomputers may also hold promise for managing vast databases, solving complex problems such as long-range weather forecasting, andóbecause they can theoretically be integrated into nanomachinesómonitoring or even repairing our bodies at the cellular level. All this remains highly speculative, of course, because nanocomputing research is at the pressure cooker stage."
from the if-a-harp-plays-on-the-nanoscale-does-it-make-a-sound? dept.
A Christian Science Monitor article reprinted at Technology Review describes a nanoscale "harp" made with by "carving" silicon with a beam of electrons: "It may be the world's smallest harp, but it doesn't play music. It's an example of a nano-electrical-mechanical device. Like a real harp, it has 'strings.' The strings are 50 nanometers (nm) in diameter. That's 50 billionths of a meter, or about 150 atoms thick! They range in length from 1,000 to 8,000 nm. The whole "harp" is the size of a red-blood cell."
from the the-race-is-on dept.
Ken Kahn brings to our attention additional info on the nanotechnology portion of the European Union's Sixth Framework Programme. Mentioned are: self-assembling materials and structures; molecular and bio-molecular mechanisms and engines; methodologies or instruments exploiting the self-assembling properties of matter and developing nano-scale machines. The U.S. National Nanotechnology Initiative may want to take note.
from the politicians-in-lovefest-for-nanotech dept.
Smalltimes reports on what surely could be called a nanotech lovefest at a Senate hearing. Here's a sample: "In the coming years, nanotechnology research funded by the National Science Foundation could aid the development of electronic circuits and devices from a single atom or molecule," said Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., chairman of the Senate Subcommittee on Science, Technology and Space. "Who knows what potential that may have for medicine, for technology, even for homeland security?"…[Gingrich, a Republican:] "The explosion of knowledge in nanoscale science and technology and in the quantum behaviors associated with that scale, from smaller than one atom to about 400 atoms, represents a profound transformation in our understanding of the natural world," Gingrich said. "Every member of Congress should take time to learn the basics of nanoscale activities and the potential of quantum behaviors."
from the dollars-for-spheres-'n-tubes dept.
David Kanaan forwards this news: "Applied NanoMaterials, Inc., a provider of nanotechnology-based products, today announced that it has raised $1 million in first round financing. The investor in this round is the Newton Technology VC Fund which also has an option for an additional $2 million investment in the company. Applied NanoMaterials commercializes a revolutionary scientific discovery: nanospheres and nanotubes of inorganic compounds that were discovered at the Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel."
from the not-*that*-inevitable dept.
Senior Associate Patrick Salsbury writes "Just found The Lifeboat Foundation, which seems to be the latest project of Eric Klien, founder of the (now defunct) Atlantis Project.
Overall, I like and support the idea of moving into space, and building "space arks" to preserve live and spread it around the Universe, however, I find the choice of language and scenarios on the Lifeboat pages to be…well…alarmist. There's talk about the "inevitability" of a gray goo scenario, and various references to info from Foresight newsletters that I'm almost (but not entirely) sure have been taken somewhat out of context.
Here's a sample of the negativity I'm talking about (from the FAQ):
"Obviously, gray goo is inevitable and with that being the case, so is the end of life itself."
I suspect that having this sort of language and attempting to frighten people into the prospect of space exploration isn't going to be the most productive way of doing things. I'm sure the page could use a review by the various folks here. Go explore the above links, and Crit away! (I tried to embed http://crit.org/ links in the above URLs, but slash munged them.)"
from the possibly-not-a-breakthrough-after-all? dept.
Tulsi Zeidman brings to our attention an article stating that the Bell Lab's work on a single-molecule transistor, published in Science and Nature, is now being questioned.
from the macro-money-for-tiny-tech dept.
Science Geek reports that a Alexander Mittal, 17, of Greenwich, Conn., won a top prize in the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair for his computer science project, ìNanoconstruction with Self-Assembling DNA-PNA Complexes.î The project is said to have the potential to change the way computer chips are developed, resulting in smaller, faster and cheaper electronic devices. Mittal will receive a trip to the Nobel Prize ceremonies in Stockholm, a scholarship of $50,000, and a high-performance computer. Read more for the full press release.
from the Molectronics dept.
According to a press release (20 May 2002), IBM announced it has created "the highest performing nanotubes transistors to date and has proven that carbon nanotubes can outperform the leading silicon transistor prototypes available today". According to the release, the IBM researchers were able to achieve the highest transconductance (measure of the current carrying capability) of any carbon nanotube transistor to date. The company said, "With the announcement, IBM is taking carbon nanotubes . . . another step closer to becoming an option for replacing silicon transistors in future devices."
The announcement garnered widespread attention. Read more for additional details of the research and selected press coverage, as well as links to posts on earlier IBM nanotube-related research.
The 13 May 2002 issue of the information technology industry trade journal Information Week contains an extensive feature article on nanotechnology ("The Next (Not So) Big Thing", by David M. Ewalt) that takes a quick, broad look at the field before narrowing down to its potential impact on the IT industry. In an accompanying editorial ("The Future Is Here And It's Verrry Small"), IW Editor Stephanie Stahl emphasizes the point that "nanotechnology has the potential to become one of those disruptive technologies that will dramatically change the way you do business".
The IW issue also contains several sidebars on current and potential applications of nanotech:
Thanks to Phil Wolff for submitting some of these items.
