Picture of the day

The Rotary Assembler

One of the machines that will be possible using the new-found ability to manipulate single molecules and atoms is illustrated here. This vaguely CD-ROM-like machine assembles other nanomechanical systems by means of 5 degrees-of-freedom tips that pick molecules off the upper platter, rotate down and deposit them on the product arrays of the lower platter.

Courtesy of and Copyright ©Philippe Van Nedervelde (Click on the image to see a 1MB MPG movie.)

Learn more about Van Nedervelde at the Foresight Nanotech Institute

To see the entire series, visit the Nanotechnology Now Gallery.

Quote of the day

"Whether or not one believes in the Singularity, it is difficult to overestimate nanotechnology's likely implications for society."

~From: Nanotechnology: The Future is Coming Sooner Than You Think (pdf)
Senior Economist Joseph V. Kennedy and sponsored by Rep. Jim Saxton (R-NJ)
http://www.house.gov/jec/publications/110/nanotechnology_03-22-07.pdf

Nanotechnology Q&A, Pt I ~more

Ray Kurzweil is a 21st Century Renaissance man; inventor, entrepreneur, writer, futurist and much more.

His write-up at Wikipedia gives you a brief glimpse into an extraordinary mind:

"Kurzweil was the principal developer of the first omni-font optical character recognition system, the first print-to-speech reading machine for the blind, the first CCD flatbed scanner, the first text-to-speech synthesizer, the first electronic musical instrument capable of recreating the sound of a grand piano and other orchestral instruments (which he developed at the urging of Stevie Wonder, who was amazed by his OCR reading machine), and the first commercially marketed large-vocabulary speech recognition system. He has founded nine businesses in the fields of OCR, music synthesis, speech recognition, reading technology, virtual reality, financial investment, medical simulation, and cybernetic art."

Bill Gates dubbed him "the best at predicting the future of artificial intelligence."

He has been described by the Wall Street Journal as "the restless genius."

In 2001 he wrote an essay, "The Law of Accelerating Returns," where he laid out one of his most well known theories, concerning the exponential growth pattern of technologies.

It states, in short:

"An analysis of the history of technology shows that technological change is exponential, contrary to the common-sense 'intuitive linear' view. So we won't experience 100 years of progress in the twenty first century—it will be more like 20,000 years of progress (at today's rate). The 'returns,' such as chip speed and cost-effectiveness, also increase exponentially. There's even exponential growth in the rate of exponential growth. Within a few decades, machine intelligence will surpass human intelligence, leading to The Singularity—technological change so rapid and profound it represents a rupture in the fabric of human history. The implications include the merger of biological and nonbiological intelligence, immortal software-based humans, and ultra-high levels of intelligence that expand outward in the universe at the speed of light."

Recently I had a chance to catch up with him, and posed the following question: "If you had the attention of the entire world, what would you say regarding molecular manufacturing?"

Here is his response: "When we have full molecular manufacturing, we will be able to create any physical products we need from information files just as we can create music, movies, and books from pure information today. In about twenty years, the original goals of communism ("from each according to their ability, to each according to their needs") will be achieved not through forced collectivism but through the information technologies of nanotechnology and artificial intelligence."

Learn more about Ray Kurzweil at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ray_Kurzweil

Picture of the day

Drillers, Peepers, Stingers

"Drillers, Peepers, Stingers" engage in a delicate surgical operation to remove a cancer tumor. Whilst the Stingers inject a toxin, Drillers cut deep into the tumor. A Peeper broadcasts the whole video scene to the surgeon.

Courtesy of and Copyright © Erik Victor

Erik Viktor applies his talent in different fields such as illustration, writing, journalism, art, 3D animation, show production, marketing, design, photography, industrial model building and other domains. He published his first article in his school's magazine at the age of 10, and had his first illustrations published when he was 12 years old. All images are based on his interpretation of existing and potential nanoscale technology.

Visit artist Erik Victor's website

To see the entire series, visit the Nanotechnology Now Gallery.

Quote of the day

When speaking about "the medium of exchange" in a society in which nanotech has removed the value from everyday objects, Glenn Harlan Reynolds said the following: "One thing that would retain scarcity is time. Personal services-teaching, lawyering, prostitution-wouldn't be cheapened in the same fashion. We might wind up with an economy based on the exchange of personal services more than on the purchase of goods. In a way, that's where we're headed already. Even without nanotechnology, the prices of many goods are falling. Televisions, once expensive, are near-commodity goods, as are computers, stereos, and just about all other electronics. Nanotechnology would simply accelerate this trend and extend it to everything else. Ironically, it may be the combination of capitalism and technology that brings about a near-propertyless utopia of the sort that socialists (usually no fans of capitalism) and romantics (no fans of technology) have long dreamed of."

Nanotube news highlights

Recent and noteworthy nanotube news includes the following.

SouthWest NanoTechnology (SWeNT), of Norman, manufactures high quality carbon nanotubes. With new OCAST funding and new manufacturing techniques developed at OU, SWeNT plans to diversify its manufacturing processes and mass produce a "commercial grade" of carbon nanotubes at a substantially lower price than is currently possible. Production volumes will increase more than 30 fold while costs are expected to fall by 90 percent.

RR: Predictions of production volume increases and cost decreases for nanotubes have been made for years. Unfortunately, and pretty much uniformly, they remain just predictions (there has been a slight decrease in price over the past 5 years). However, in this case I am hopeful that SWeNT will pull off the elusive nanotube two-fer since low-cost large-volume CNTs will enable massive change in every industry that creates products where weight and strength are paramount.

From: Oklahoma awards state's first nanotechnology applications competition winners
http://www.nanotech-now.com/news.cgi?story_id=21553


In a significant advance toward … nanotube-based electronics, researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign (UIUC) have grown rows of perfectly aligned carbon nanotubes on quartz crystal and used these arrays to make transistors. The electrodes in these transistors border the nanotube rows so that thousands of nanotubes bridge the electrodes, increasing the current.
The nanotube transistors could be used in flexible displays and electronic paper. Because carbon nanotubes can carry current at much higher speeds than silicon, the devices could also be used in high-speed radio frequency (RF) communication systems and identification tags.

…to make good-quality transistors on a larger scale, they would need to find a better way to get rid of the metallic tubes or selectively grow semiconducting tubes. That, according to Javey, is the "last big key" for making nanotube electronics.

RR: And remains one of the major hitches. Current separation techniques simply do not produce "pure enough" batches of CNTs. Whether it’s this university or another (or one of the many businesses that product CNTs), expect to see nanotubes play a significant role in these areas in the near future (say 3 – 5 years) provided that the usual caveats are met: low cost and high production volumes, coupled with effective separation methods.

From: A Breakthrough in Nanotube Transistors
http://www.nanotech-now.com/news.cgi?story_id=21541


New research published in the March 19 issue of Applied Physics Letters suggests that carbon nanotubes may soon be integrated into ever-shrinking cell phones, digital audio players, and personal digital assistants to help ensure the equipment does not overheat, malfunction, or fail.

Using microfin structures made of aligned multiwalled carbon nanotube arrays mounted to the back of silicon chips, researchers from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and the University of Oulu in Finland have proven that nanotubes can dissipate chip heat as effectively as copper — the best known, but most costly, material for thermal management applications. And the nanotubes are more flexible, resilient, and 10 times lighter than any other cooling material available.

From: Cool Findings: Nanotubes Could Improve Thermal Management in Electronics
http://news.rpi.edu/update.do?artcenterkey=2044


For Florida State University researcher Okenwa Okoli, testing his latest research is vital. Okoli, an associate professor of industrial and manufacturing engineering in the Florida A&M University-Florida State College of Engineering in Tallahassee, Fla., and his research team at FSU's High-Performance Materials Institute have been working on bullet-proof body armor for U.S. military men and women.

Okoli and a former colleague, Jim Thagard, developed a composite manufacturing process to create lightweight body armor using nanotubes that protects a soldier's legs, arms and head. Metal traditionally has been used for such protective gear, but lightweight composites materials such as the ones produced by Okoli now can be used in place of heavier metals, he said.

RR: Noteworthy is the fact that their armor covers areas of the body not currently protected, which could go a long way towards reducing combat deaths and injuries.

From: Researcher’s Light Body Armor May Save Soldiers’ Lives
http://www.nanotech-now.com/news.cgi?story_id=21400


Carbon Nanotechnologies, Inc. (CNI) and Unidym, Inc. announced today that they have entered into a definitive agreement to merge the two companies. The transaction is expected to be completed in early April. The combined company, known as Unidym, will also have exclusive licenses to all the intellectual property in CNI's portfolio, for control of 59 U.S. issued carbon nanotube-related patents. While Unidym previously made carbon nanotubes for demonstration purposes, the merger will allow for mass production for commercial development of the ITO replacement. "This merger could also be the impetus for consolidation activity in the carbon nanotube space to accelerate."

RR: I agree. The battle over patent rights alone could spur that activity; many smaller producers of nanotubes may not be able to afford costly litigation, while their (potential) buyers can.

From: Carbon Nanotechnologies, Inc. (CNI) to Merge with Unidym
http://www.nanotech-now.com/news.cgi?story_id=21369


The Tokyo-based textile, chemicals and nanotechnologies firm plans to concentrate its efforts on the employment of its cup-stacked CNTs (CSCNTs) in the membrane electrode assembles of polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEFCs), according to Japan Chemical Week.

RR: More good news for the green movement, and everything that breathes.

From: GSI Creos to focus on carbon nanotube development for fuel cell applications
http://www.nanotech-now.com/news.cgi?story_id=21446


The assembly of nanoparticles along the external or internal surface of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) is of both fundamental and technological interest. Combining unique properties of CNTs and nanoparticles, the nanoparticle/nanotube composite structure attracts a broad range of advanced applications, including nanoelectronics, chemical and biosensors, catalysis and fuel cells. This so-called 'decoration' of CNTs has been used to increase the hydrogen storage capacity, to make nanotubes magnetic, or to grow secondary structures inside the nanotubes to increase the available surface for catalysis.

RR: one of the more noteworthy bits: "This paves the way to using carbon nanotubes as nanoscale biological probes for sub-cellular investigation." There are an increasing number of nanoscale solutions to the screening, diagnosis, monitoring and treatment of disease, many of which involve functionalized nanotubes.

From: Nanotube biological probes for intracellular studies
http://www.nanotech-now.com/news.cgi?story_id=21236


A novel approach to fabricating CNT networks are CNT aerogels. Aerogels are novel materials in their own right - a material derived from gel in which the liquid component of the gel has been replaced with gas. The result is an extremely low density solid. Fabricating aerogels with CNTs offers potential for improvement over current carbon aerogel technologies in device applications such as sensors, actuators, electrodes, and thermoelectrics.

From: Carbon nanotube aerogels
http://www.nanotech-now.com/news.cgi?story_id=21201


So far only limited data is available regarding carbon nanotube (CNT) toxicity. As a result still not much is known about their impact on biological systems including humans.

RR: It is worth noting that buckyball toxicity in soil has been determined to not "have ill effects on soil or the microorganisms it contains." See Nanotech threat exaggerated

From: The ongoing challenge of determining carbon nanotube toxicity
http://www.nanotech-now.com/news.cgi?story_id=21102


A Cambridge University-led team of scientists have successfully produced live video footage that shows how carbon nanotubes form. The nano-scale video observations mean that scientists will be able to better understand the nucleation of nanotubes and are therefore an important step on the route towards application.

RR: This should go a long way towards our understanding of how to functionalize and separate nanotubes (they come in many flavors, and are difficult to separate at this time), which will lead to lower consumer costs, which will lead to the use of nanotubes in more products, which will lead to…

From: Nanotube formation captured on video
http://www.nanotech-now.com/news.cgi?story_id=20908


For custom reports in your areas of interest, contact me at rocky at access-nanotechnology.com

Picture of the day

Utility Foglet

Modeled on the utility fog concept first put forth by Dr. J. Storrs Hall, Artist Tim Fonseca created this visual representation. (click to see larger version)

Here is Dr. Hall's description: "Imagine a microscopic robot. It has a body about the size of a human cell and 12 arms sticking out in all directions. A bucketfull of such robots might form a 'robot crystal' by linking their arms up into a lattice structure. Now take a room, with people, furniture, and other objects in it -- it's still mostly empty air. Fill the air completely full of robots. The robots are called Foglets and the substance they form is Utility Fog, which may have many useful medical applications. And when a number of utility foglets hold hands with their neighbors, they form a reconfigurable array of 'smart matter.'"

Learn more about utility fog at www.nanotech-now.com/utility-fog.htm

To see the entire series, visit the Nanotechnology Now Gallery.

Quote of the day

"Nanotech is where breakthroughs are likely. Forget about just the cancer-detection and other advanced medical tools it's midwifing and the next-gen consumer electronics such as super-bright displays. On a planet that's on the cusp of catastrophic climate change, nano-engineered materials have the potential to make a real difference. Imagine solar power cells that are far cheaper and more efficient; batteries that allow for more efficient electric cars; components that make cleaner coal-fired power plants. These and other applications are hardly trivial--they'll save energy, reduce pollution, and maybe go a little way to making sure Times Square won't be under water for the next millennium celebration."

~David Talbot. From: Good News: No Nano News http://www.technologyreview.com/blog/posts.aspx?id=17430

Cleantech funding

If anyone needed proof that clean technologies are seen as both critical to our collective future and potentially profitable, today’s news (1) of a $62.5 million fund should help convince them of those realities.

Piper Jaffray closed on its Clean Tech fund at the end of last month, making money available VCs with "environmentally-friendly portfolios."

Another bit that point to an encouraging future for cleantech: "The bank set out to raise $25 million, but after word got out about the effort, the fund more than doubled in size, and investors were eventually turned away."

Couple that news with John Doerr’s pronouncement (2) that "cleantech the biggest economic opportunity of this century," and you may come to realize, as I have, that cleantech is no longer just being given lip service by big biz and gov.

I’ll close this with a quote from my friend and colleague, Jack Uldrich: "The bottom line is that, like Doerr, I believe cleantech will be huge. I also believe there will be many technologies and companies taking part in the solution."

(1) http://twincities.bizjournals.com/twincities/stories/2007/03/26/story4.html?b=1174881600^1436669

(2) http://www.fool.com/investing/high-growth/2007/03/20/the-biggest-economic-opportunity-of-this-century.aspx

Picture of the day

Nano flower bouquet

At the time this image was created, Ph.D. student Ghim Wei Ho was doing research in the lab of Prof. Mark Welland. Her project involved the fabrication and characterization of novel nanostructures. "For the remainder of my Ph.D., I will be focussing on the potential device aspects of these extraordinary structures," she said. (click to see larger version)

To see the entire series, visit the Nanotechnology Now Gallery.

Courtesy of and Copyright © Ghim Wei Ho and Prof Mark Welland, University of Cambridge Nanoscale Science Laboratory

Quote of the day

"The current public calm surrounding nanotechnology -- and the public's lack of awareness about nanotech -- could change radically. All it would take would be mass media coverage of a research finding of a potentially dangerous health effect to consumers who are currently unknowingly exposed to nanoparticles in their sunscreens or cosmetics."

~Sharon M. Friedman, Professor, Lehigh University

---

"The need to engage the public in a dialogue about nano's potential benefits and risks, and how government proposes to manage them, has never been greater or more propitious. Without such an effort, nanotechnology's benefits could be lost in a sea of scary headlines and confused publics."

~Julia A. Moore, Deputy Director, Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies

---

"The results of the citizens' jury suggest that nanotechnology is not perceived as a serious threat to the values of anyone but die-hard anti-technologists."

~Nature Magazine. From: Nanojury UK - the final verdict at http://www.softmachines.org/wordpress/?p=159

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"Any new technology is associated with risks. Stone age man discovered the hand axe to cut materials, but the tool was also a powerful weapon. But nanotechnology doesn't pose any greater threat than other established technologies. In any case, there's no sense in elaborating frightening scenarios that are just as misleading as naive promises that 'the whole thing's harmless.' It would be more effective for the development of this new technology to be accompanied by information, education and critical examination."

~Bayer

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To suggest that nanotech is the next asbestos scandal is "an overreaction. There's a lot of (research) work that needs to be done, but there is nothing indicating there's going to be a serious problem, not at the moment."

~Andrew Maynard, chief science adviser at the Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington, D.C. From: Big troubles may lurk in super-tiny tech at http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2005/10/31/MNG28FGMVJ1.DTL

Nanotech threat exaggerated

As I’ve said in the past, and will undoubtedly say again, I won’t normally cover breaking news in this blog. Today I make an exception for news on “the nanotech threat.”

Word comes to us from Ron Turco at Purdue University that “neither dry nor water-based forms of buckminsterfullerenes—carbon nanoparticles containing only tens to hundreds of atoms called buckyballs—have ill effects on soil or the microorganisms it contains.”

This is good news for all the companies that are contemplating using fullerenes in their products. It is bad news for enviro groups that have long been playing up the hype on certain misread “buckyball and fish” studies (1).

While this study is encouraging, Turco “adds the caveat that he tested only a few types of nanoparticles and that further tests must be done on a broader array of particles before conclusions can be drawn.” I believe he is referring to other types of nanoparticles, such as nanotubes, which hold huge promise and are already being touted as the next big thing in materials, where strength and weight properties are paramount (think aerospace, military and space applications).

It is a fact that other nanoparticles need to be tested for toxicity, while at the same time recognizing the need for latitude in their use when embedded in polymers and such (where they are unlikely to become separated, any more than their larger cousins in the materials world).

Businesses that contemplate using nanoparticles in products that will come into direct contact with living tissues absolutely need to test them for potential toxic effects, just like they do for any other material for which the effects are not known.

I also recognize that until proven safe, factory workers need to be safeguarded when handling nanoscale materials, just like they do when handling other potentially harmful materials of any scale.

Regarding regulation, a quote from Chris Anderson (editor in chief of Wired magazine) comes to mind: "When the United States bans stem-cell research, it doesn't mean the end of stem-cell research; it just means that the work gets done elsewhere, including China or India, where the scientists and technology are nearly as good but the regulations are looser. Too much regulation and the science goes feral; too little and it may run wild at home." How do you achieve a balance? I like what Sonia Arrison (Director of Technology Studies, Pacific Research Institute) says: “…modest regulation, civilian research, and an emphasis on self-regulation and responsible professional culture.”

In an article titled Can Nanotech Be Regulated? (2) and in response to the question “Will fair regulation of a field as complex as nanotechnology be possible without a radical new approach?” Richard Denison of Environmental Defense responded with: “We've dealt with some pretty tough issues in regulation and legislation, and I don't know if nano is so novel or so unique that it's going to require a whole new approach. We understand the basics of assessing hazard. We understand the basics of assessing exposure and mitigating exposure. Those need to be tailored and adapted to the characteristics of nanomaterials, but I don't know that we're talking about anything much more radical than that.” I’ll buy that.


Read the whole article Scientist claims nanotech threat is exaggerated
http://www.eetimes.com/news/latest/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=198700342


(1) Howard Lovy in an article titled Nano is a concept by which we measure our pain
http://nanobot.blogspot.com/2004/03/nano-is-concept-by-which-we-measure.html

(2) http://www.technologyreview.com/NanoTech/wtr_16176,319,p2.html

Picture of the day

Carbon nanotube dative junction assembly

Damian Gregory Allis, Ph.D.: Dative (dipolar) bonds are a potentially valuable form of noncovalent interaction for use in diamondoid and macromolecular nanostructures. These interactions require a lone pair donor, such as the lone pair of nitrogen, and an acceptor, such as the empty sp2 orbital or boron. Boron and nitrogen are both good structural replacements for the C-H fragments found in hydrocarbons (nitrogen because it is isoelectronic with the C-H unit, boron because it can accommodate three covalent bonds to leave the last orbital empty). In this design, carbon nanotubes are functionalized with adamantane-based dative hinges that lock each fragment into place to form the extended network. (Click to see larger version, where: grey = carbon, white = hydrogen, blue = nitrogen, green = boron; left: van der Waals rendering. right: ball-and-stick rendering)

These designs are the result of a collaboration with Dr. Ralph Merkle (www.merkle.com/) into the application of the dative bond in molecular building block approaches for molecular-based materials design.

All images (in this series) are the result of molecular mechanics structure calculations using either Tinker (MM2 parameters) or NAMD (CHARMM). Images were made with VMD. Any inquiries concerning methods, software, or shop talk are directed to http://www.somewhereville.com/.

To see the entire series, visit the Nanotechnology Now Gallery.

Quote of the day

Dr Andy Miah, a British bioethicist, believes there is now a new frontier in sporting technology, driven by the convergence of nanotechnology, biotechnology, information technology and cognitive science.

"We can imagine nanotechnological devices being utilised by athletes to keep them fit...these are molecular-sized devices that could be inserted into the brain to elicit certain kinds of physiological modifications." The technique has already been used to implant molecular-sized devices into the brains of people suffering from Parkinson's disease.

~From: Technology pushes sporting boundaries at http://tvnz.co.nz/view/page/411749/1035788

Interview with Jack Uldrich

Today I would like to present an interview I did with my friend and colleague Jack Uldrich on investing in nanotechnology.

RR: What have you learned since writing The Next Big Thing that helped with Investing in Nanotechnology?

I wrote Investing in Nanotechnology because I am now more convinced than ever that not only do executives need to understand how nanotechnology will affect the future of their business but now so must investors.

The advances that have been made in the field of nanotechnology since I wrote The Next Big Thing in 2003 have been absolutely startling. The pace of change is almost exponential and there is scarcely a day that goes by without some major development being announced. Those people who are unaware of these advances -- and who aren't making it a point to track these developments -- will be at a distinct disadvantage and could end up losing a sizeable amount of money. This will happen either because they miss opportunities to invest in new companies or they don't understand how some of their current investments may be rendered obsolete by new advances in nanotechnology.

RR: What do you say to potential investors about companies that are raking in tens of millions of dollars in VC funding without having a near-term product?

First off, neither VC's nor individual investors should invest in "science projects." If a company doesn't have a real product (or at least a plan to develop a real product) - stay away! Having said that, I am comfortable if a VC chooses to invest in a company that may not have a viable product for 3 to 7 years - after all it is their (or their investors) money they are using. The greater threat I think is that many of nanotechnology companies don't know which market they are going to attack first. I am always nervous when a company states that it has "exciting" or "promising" nanotech applications in a variety of markets, including the material sciences, semiconductors, energy, pharmaceuticals, etc. A good company understands which market offers its investors the best opportunity and then pursues that market. If it is successful in that area then it can move on to other areas.

RR: In your opinion, does adding "nano" to a company's name add to or take away from it's value, and why?

All things being equal, I believe the term "nano" takes away from a company's value. As I said earlier, every investor should strip the term "nano" away from the company and investigate it from the perspective of whether or not it is creating an actual product that can succeed in the marketplace. I also believe that it is possible the term "nanotechnology" could come to have a negative connotation in the public's mind at some point in the future. This is especially the case if certain nanomaterials or nanoparticles are found to have adverse affects on either the environment or human health.


To read the entire interview:
http://www.nanotech-now.com/products/nanonewsnow/issues/030/030.htm#main

Picture of the day

LiftPort Concept Anchor

An ocean anchorage for the Space Elevator.

The subject of research for more than a century, the Space Elevator is a unique way to ferry cargo and people into space. Recent advances in technology, most notably the development of carbon nanotube composites, now appear to make building a space elevator feasible. Initial research reports on building the space elevator that draw upon these discoveries have now been completed. As proposed in these reports, the space elevator will consist of a carbon nanotube composite ribbon stretching some 62,000 miles from earth to space. The elevator will be anchored to an offshore sea platform near the equator in the Pacific Ocean, and to a small counterweight in space. Mechanical lifters (robotic elevator cars) will move up and down the ribbon, carrying such items as satellites, solar power systems, and eventually people into space.

The Space Elevator is not a tower, or even an elevator shaft. It's just the elevator cable, without even any big motors at the top to pull things up. Vehicles and their payloads have to pull themselves up the cable with their own motors and power supply.

© Copyright LiftPort Group Inc., Bremerton, Wash. (click to see larger version)

See the entire LiftPort Conceptual Engineering Drawings Gallery (Focused on the Space Elevator)

To see the entire series, visit the Nanotechnology Now Gallery.

Quote of the day

According to Tom Theis, IBM's director of physical sciences, "Nanotubes with diameters of only 1.5 to 2 nanometers possess many times the strength of steel and conduct electricity as both a metal and a semiconductor." Because of these properties, Theis says, "I can't imagine a more aggressive transistor technology right now."

~From: The bootless PC and terabytes on a dime at http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&taxonomyName=hardware&articleId=9003397&taxonomyId=149

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"Nanotechnology is about to dramatically change virtually every aspect of how we work, live, and play; in fact the process has already begun. If you've used a UV-blocking sunscreen it may well be 'powered' by nanospheres of titanium dioxide - the opaque stuff of lifeguards' noses - which, in its nano form, happens to be transparent to visible light, but not to UV. Similarly, nanospheres in your toothpaste are (or will soon be) giving you that ultra-bright smile. And Berkeley Lab's 'Materials Sciences Division' has recently demonstrated how to use a new electro-thermal technique on carbon nanotubes to turn them into 'conveyor belts' that move individual atoms to precise targets, potentially forming the basis for far more efficient nanoscale manufacturing."

~Jeffrey R. Harrow From: Life Itself is 'Applied Nanotechnology' at http://www.futurebrief.com/jeffharrownanolife022.asp

The Weekly Roundup

Starting this week I will dedicate Friday’s post to a recap of the week’s news that grabbed my attention.

Here are the news bits and press releases that caught my eye this week.

Stealth Inkjet Printer Startup Could Rock Industry – March 22, 2007

"…a nanotech-fueled, consumer inkjet printer that can print sixty pages a second for under $200 has successfully demonstrated the technology. … Company executives have said they feel that they can ship an 8x10 color inkjet by the end of 2008 that will cost less than $200 and print 60 pages a minute."

"The Memjet technology uses a series of individual MEMS-based inkjet nozzles, fabricated using conventional semiconductor manufacturing techniques. Each chip measures 20 millimeters across and contains 6,400 nozzles, with five color channels, the company said. A separate driver chip calculates 900 million picoliter-sized drops per second. For a standard A4 letter printer, the result is a total of 70,400 nozzles."

RR: Two points here: 1) this technology, should it pan out, represents a huge leap in printer capabilities while at the same time a huge decrease in price performance, and 2) it also demonstrates Ray Kurzweil’s now famous Law of Accelerating Returns, which states: "An analysis of the history of technology shows that technological change is exponential, contrary to the common-sense "intuitive linear" view. So we won't experience 100 years of progress in the 21st century -- it will be more like 20,000 years of progress (at today's rate). The "returns," such as chip speed and cost-effectiveness, also increase exponentially. There's even exponential growth in the rate of exponential growth."

Nanotechnology companies team up – March 22, 2007

"The Houston nanotechnology company founded by Rice University Nobel laureate Richard Smalley and a California firm that plans to use nanotubes to build better electronics are merging, the companies will announce today.

The move will unite the world's leading producer of carbon nanotubes, Carbon Nanotechnologies, and Unidym, a company that can use them to make better television, phone and computer screens and other electronics."

RR: Is this the model that will finally put nanotubes on the consumer products map? Perhaps, but considering the number of nanotube manufactures and the fact that not one of them has lived up to the hype regarding price, functionalization and separation, perhaps not. Stay tuned.

Speaking of hype, one final quote from the article "We're at the brink of the really high-value applications" said CNI chief Bob Gower, who likened the world-changing potential of nanotubes to the Internet. "This is truly disruptive technology."

Researcher’s Light Body Armor May Save Soldiers’ Lives – March 22, 2007

"…a composite manufacturing process to create lightweight body armor using nanotubes that protects a soldier's legs, arms and head. Metal traditionally has been used for such protective gear, but lightweight composites materials such as the ones produced by Okoli now can be used in place of heavier metals, he said."

RR: New technologies have always (and seemingly will always) represent a double-edged sword, which can be used in peaceful as well as military applications. In this case, let’s consider the fact that the use of nanotubes will be for saving lives in a time of war, and by extension, in times of peace when used by police forces and civilians.

They did get one thing wrong in the article: "Nanotubes are derived from buckminsterfullerene…" Actually, nanotubes are distinctly different from buckyballs, and are "derived" from sources other than C60 (1) (you don’t use C60 to make nanotubes, although they are both composed of carbon atoms). Nanotubes represent another way that carbon atoms can be arranged; in this case in a tube rather than a sphere. In "science guy" talk, nanotubes are allotropes of carbon (2), and members of the fullerene family, as are buckyballs.

To read the complete articles, see:
http://www.nanotech-now.com/news.cgi?story_id=21388
http://www.nanotech-now.com/news.cgi?story_id=21364
http://www.nanotech-now.com/news.cgi?story_id=21400

(1) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon_nanotube#Synthesis
(2) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allotropes_of_carbon

Picture of the day

"Inside the Box"

This image is part of a presentation by the Foresight Nanotech Institute. Together, all the images are intended to illustrate "an animated view of a nanofactory and demonstrate key steps in a process that converts simple molecules into a billion-CPU laptop computer."

Description: Edge view of the active exturder surface. Fuel stock pipes at the bottom deliver Acetylene and other chemicals. The layers in the center are the active nanomachines that tear apart chemicals and reassemble them into the products seen at the top of the picture. Products slowly extrude upward out of the layer.

© Copyright John Burch (click to see larger version)

Learn more at Lizard Fire Studios

To see the entire series, visit the Nanotechnology Now Gallery.

Quote of the day

"Most of my work is oriented toward the longer term, but if I had to guess, the (nanomedicine) applications nearest to commercialization are probably the fullerene-related and dendrimer-related drugs," "The nanoshells are making their way toward commercialization, but the fullerenes and dendrimers are probably closest in terms of somebody making money from a product."

~Robert A. Freitas, Jr., Author of Nanomedicine (http://www.nanomedicine.com/)

Interview with NanoTumor Center

There is a large and rapidly growing group of researchers that are exploring and finding ways to screen, diagnose, monitor and treat disease, particularly cancers. Among the most noteworthy is the group at the UCSD Center of Cancer Nanotechnology Excellence, also known as the NanoTumor Center (Center for Nanotechnology for the Treatment, Understanding and Monitoring of Cancer).

The screening, diagnosis, monitoring and treatment of disease via nanotechnologies are likely to enable one of if not the most profound changes in our society.

In June of 2006 it was my pleasure to interview Sadik Esener, Principal Investigator and Center Director, and William Vine, Director of Strategic Programs at NanoBioNexus.

What follows is an excerpt of that interview.

RR: In general what types of research projects are planned over the five years of the program and what are their goals?

Esener: One focus of the UCSD effort will be to develop smart hierarchical delivery platforms about the size of a red blood cell. These "mother ships" would move through the body and target specific tumor cells or the blood vessels that feed them. After arriving at their destinations, the mother ships would release their payload nanoparticles, which could be designed to help image tumors, enter cells and perform measurements, and deliver therapies. Chemists at UCSD, together with materials scientists at the University of California, Santa Barbara nanofabrication facility, will synthesize nanoparticles that will be coated with "biolinkers," molecules developed at the Burnham Institute to make the particles attach to specific types of tumor cells.


RR: Looking out 10 years, what are your hopes regarding medical diagnostics and treatments stemming from our understanding of the nanoscale?

Esener: Our hope in general is to be able to reduce suffering and death caused by cancer and to significantly improve the quality of life for cancer patients and their families. More specifically, we hope to develop platforms that can detect cancer at its earliest stage. We hope to be able to monitor and treat residual cancerous cells after treatment and be able to provide treatment with high specificity and efficiency eliminating side effects and the need to perform open surgery to remove tumors.


RR: On April 4, 2006, NanoBioNexus announced that they will head the educational component of the NanoTUMOR Center. Why is an Educational Core needed?

Vine: The National Cancer Institute requested that each of the eight Centers of Cancer and Nanotechnology Excellence (CCNE) create community outreach and internal educational programs in nanotechnology and cancer. Nanotechnology is so new that scientists and physicians as well as the general public have a thirst to learn more. Certainly, they are curious about how nanotechnology can help people with cancer. Finally, we want to replace the misinformation that creates anxiety with the facts so that the full benefits of nanotechnology are realized. Thus, the job of the Educational Core is to plan and execute the corresponding programs.


“Our focus at the center will be on making nanoparticles stealth in the vascular system, specific as they attach only to the tumor, and capable of penetrating into it without polluting other organs.”

“Our longer-term vision is to ultimately deliver these nanoplatforms as a payload of multifunctional ‘smart motherships,’ capable of detection, identification, imaging and performing measurements, and providing treatment, as well as delivering therapies to residual cancer cells as they circulate in the system.”

Sadik Esener, Ph.D., Principal Investigator and Center Director


To close, I’d like borrow a short and powerful quote from Naomi Halas: Imagine if cancer could become trivial. The way we’re headed now I believe it will, and within a decade or two at most.


Read the entire interview, here:
http://www.nanotech-now.com/products/nanonewsnow/issues/036/036.htm#Esener

Picture of the day

Self-Assembled Monolayers - Vapor Phase Annealing

A scanning tunneling microscope image (200nm x 140 nm) of a self-assembled monolayer of n-decanethiolate on Au{111} that has been vapor-annealed in n-dodecanethiolate. The protrusions on each of the atomic steps are the 1.1 Å higher n-dodecanethiolate molecules. (click to see larger version)

Acknowledgements: Z. J. Donhauser.

To see the entire series, visit the Nanotechnology Now Gallery.

"We focus on gaining atomic-scale understanding and control of materials properties. We do this by exploring, probing, and manipulating interactions and dynamics at surfaces and interfaces. We use and extend scanning tunneling microscopy to explore the surface structures, motion, and perturbations due to adsorbed atoms and molecules and due to surface features such as substrate steps and defects. We locate, study, and try to exploit the regimes in which our intuition based on macroscopic measurements breaks down. We are exploring the phenomena to be used, the ground rules, and the ultimate limits in nanometer-scale electronics and storage. Our microscopes serve not only as probes, but also allow us to manipulate matter on the atomic scale. We can thus interrogate the properties of uniquely configured atomic-scale structures. This has required the development of new tools with atomic-scale views of the surface. One new effort in our group looks at how we can bridge the gap between conventional optical microscopies and scanning probe microscopies."

—Paul S. Weiss, Professor of Chemistry, Pennsylvania State University. Weiss Group Featured Images

Quote of the day

"Nanotechnology is a suite of powerful materials synthesis and fabrication technologies that can control structure in the nanometer to 100 nanometer range - precisely the size range where size controls properties. As a technology strategy, nanotechnology will result both in new devices and products based on designer materials and engineered structure, as well as a large number of improvements to existing products and products resulting from the marriage of nanotechnology with currently-used fabrication technologies."

~Dr. Martin Moskovits, Chief Technology Officer API Nanotronics http://nanotechwire.com/news.asp?nid=4445

Nanotechnology Predictions

Today I thought I’d hit you with a few of my favorite predictions and statistics. While I do not necessarily agree with them all, I do respect the groups and individuals that produced them, and therefore believe that we need to pay attention to them. When taken as a whole, I believe they indicate that great deal of expedient thought needs to be given the field of nanotechnology. If there is one “for sure” you can take away from this, it is that nanotechnologies have the potential to impact society in ways both profound and unfathomable. The time to start planning for the consequent disruptive change is now.


"This technology (nanotechnology) also holds the promise of broad societal implications. By 2015, products in which nanotechnology plays a key role will require more than 2 million workers and produce about $1 trillion in products annually. These estimates are from leading experts in large companies with related nanotechnology programs in the United States, Japan and Europe."

~Mihail C. Roco, Senior Advisor, NSF and Chair, U.S. National Science and Technology Council's Subcommittee on Nanoscale Science, Engineering and Technology. http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060205/OPINION/602050382/1002


"Nanotechnology is approaching a phase change that will see it spread exponentially across manufactured goods in the next 10 years. In 2004, $13 billion worth of products will incorporate emerging nanotechnology, less than one-tenth of 1% of global manufacturing output. In 2014, we project that this figure will rise to $2.6 trillion -- 15% of manufacturing output in that year."

From: Sizing Nanotechnology's Value Chain
http://www.nanotechwire.com/news.asp?nid=1248


“Energy is the largest business in the world. The growing thirst for fossil-fuel based energy by developing economies in Asia, compounded by political strife in energy-rich areas of the world, has created an unprecedented demand and a volatile supply. Solar energy has long been recognized as a potential solution - 175,000 terawatts of solar energy hit the earth every day, three-thousand times the amount we would need to power the entire world. Nanotechnology is at the forefront of solar cell development from the mechanism from capturing light to the means to convert it into electricity and conduct the power to the devices that need it.”

From: NanoBusiness 2007 to Focus on CleanTech, Highlighting Nanotechnology’s Role in Improving the Environment
http://home.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/index.jsp?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20070321005760&newsLang=en


“U.S. demand for nanotechnology medical products will increase over 17 percent per year to $53 billion in 2011, says The Freedonia Group, Inc., a Cleveland-based industry research firm. Afterwards, the increasing flow of new nanomedicines, nanodiagnostics, and nanotech-based medical supplies and devices into the US market will boost demand to more than $110 billion in 2016.”

From: Demand for nanotech-based medicine grows
http://www.smalltimes.com/articles/article_display.cfm?Section=ONART&C=Bio&ARTICLE_ID=287462&p=109

To view more worthwhile quotes, visit the Quotes page at my consulting team site.

Picture of the day

Infinity (Dust particles)

Image derived from black and white Scanning Electron Microscope images that was digitized and computer painted.

Copyright © Cris Orfescu. (click to see larger version)

Learn more at Cris Orfescu's Premiere Artist Portfolio

NANOART - Limited edition prints. Nano-dimensional features of different materials are revealed with an electron microscope after samples have been previously prepared. The image is created by electrons (electric charged particles) rather then photons (particles of light) as in photography. The black and white electron microscope image is digitally processed, computer painted and manipulated, and printed with archival inks on fine art archival paper or canvas - contact the artist for details. All prints are signed and numbered by the artist.

To see the entire series, visit the Nanotechnology Now Gallery.

Quote of the day

"The medicine of the future will be preventive in nature. Farewell, therapeutic care. Instead of investing enormous budgets in treating chronic diseases, a routine scan of healthy people will identify the potential for the disease even before it develops. Nanotechnology, molecular imaging and microscopic silicon chips will be the magic wand that eliminates from our lives the three main killers: cancer, heart disease and strokes. Health-care costs will drop dramatically when diseases are eradicated before they appear, and this process will allow funds to be channeled into other areas, leading to economic growth.

Hey docs, your time's almost up."

~Elisha Bar-Meir (http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/838380.html)

Nanomedicine at Johns Hopkins

As anyone who has been reading nanotech news for any part of the past few years knows, the impact that nanotechnologies will play on medicine is potentially enormous. Nanotechnologies will play a role in the screening, diagnosis, monitoring and treatment of disease, and will likely be a major contributor to the continued lengthening of the human lifespan as well as the greater enjoyment of those years.

The following is just one of many interviews I did as Editor of Nanotechnology Now on nanomedicine.

Here is an excerpt of my interview with Dr. Peter Searson, director for the Johns Hopkins Institute for NanoBioTechnology. He is also a professor in Materials Science and Engineering in the Whiting School of Engineering and is Associate Director of the Materials Research Science and Engineering Center.


RR: Looking out ten years, what are your hopes regarding medical diagnostics and treatments stemming from our understanding of the nanoscale?

Very simply, we will develop new scientific tools and create new technologies for the diagnosis and treatment of diseases and medical conditions. We will develop new tools will allow us to develop a better understanding of how cells function, and misfunction, at the molecular level. Research will also focus on the development of new diagnostic and therapeutic strategies, for example, for the early detection and treatment of cancer.


Read the entire interview here:
http://www.nanotech-now.com/products/nanonewsnow/issues/036/036.htm#Searson

New nano and cleantech consulting site

Just a quick note to let know that my nanotechnology consulting community’s new website is up; it hasn’t been “announced” yet, so you folks are the first to see it.

Visit Access: Your Nano and Cleantech Knowledge Management Team

I’ll be spending a lot of time fine-tuning the site over the next week or so, and will try to blog-on during that time. No promises, though.

Picture of the day

Polymer AFM image

AFM data courtesy Dr. Heiko Rochholz, Material Science Group, Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research, Germany. (click to see larger version)

ScienceGL - Advanced 3D visualization software for microscopy

I will post the others in this series over time. To see the entire series now, visit the Nanotechnology Now Gallery.

Quote of the day

"Nano will allow us to create value and wealth for the U.S. to continue our growth. Nanotechnology represents two things: first, a very distinct possibility of creating cures, treatments and diagnosis for all the terrible ailments that people are facing because they are living longer, and secondly, it's creating an environment where the U.S. can maintain its lead in the world in innovation, creating new jobs so citizens can feed their families, and having higher standards of living and a stable economy."

~Bernie Marcus, Founder, The Home Depot

Interview with Neil Gordon of the Canadian NanoBusiness Alliance

Today I would like to share with you an interview I did with my friend and colleague Neil Gordon. Neil is the president of the Canadian NanoBusiness Alliance (CNBA). Neil specializes in nanotechnology commercialization and global initiatives.

In their own words, the CNBA is “a nanotechnology association and facilitator,” with a duel mission:

1. To establish a Canadian National Nanotechnology Initiative including the creation of commercially-oriented nanotech hubs, the promotion of nanotechnology in Canada, and the promotion of Canadian nanotechnology capabilities internationally.

2. To develop major nanotechnology initiatives across the globe.

RR: What are your concerns regarding a nanotechnology-enabled military and/or homeland security department?

With all of the amazing progress made by humankind during the twentieth century in political, social, technological and economic endeavors, it is maddening to accept that military and homeland security must take such a prominent role in our society today. That being said, the nanotechnology community has a unique opportunity to help our government agencies develop technologies to better protect human life and dignity, along with the values we believe in. My biggest concern is the long time duration for characterizing the specifications to defend against new types of threats, then develop, test and deploy better systems that meet these unprecedented requirements.

RR: What is being done vs. what (in your opinion) should be done to prepare for advanced nanotechnologies and their use by the military and homeland security departments?

The technology and end-user communities along with their funders need to better coordinate new standards, specifications, development plans and investments to reduce the time for new solutions coming to market. One example where this coordination is taking place is CANEUS. CANEUS is a NASA-led initiative between multiple government agencies in the US and allied countries, and with the private sector that is coordinating “collaborative” investments and developments of Micro-Nano-Technologies (MNTs) for the aerospace industry.

Read the entire interview here http://www.nanotech-now.com/products/nanonewsnow/issues/027/027.htm#Gordon

Picture of the day

1x1um Polymer nano-spheres

Pacific Nanotechnology provides products and services that facilitate advances in nanoparticle technology and research. Our products are optimized for research, development, and process control applications when visualization, modification, and measurement of nanoparticle or nanopowder is critical. (click to see larger version)

To learn more about and to see more of these images, check out the following pages:

Pacific Nanotechnology Nanoparticle Image Gallery AFM images of nanoparticles, AFM data of nanopowders, AFM images of thermoplasitc elastomer, carbon nanotubes, polysterene particles, polymer particles, quantum dots, QD, latex spheres, drug powder, drug crystallines, polished quartz,blood cells, CNT, DNA, sol-gel, inclusions, triblock co-polymer, colloids, colloidal gold, colloidal gold spheres, carbon black, polypeptides, calcium phosphate, CaP, etc.

Pacific Nanotechnology Nanoparticle Technology

I will post the others in this series over time. To see the entire series now, visit the Nanotechnology Now Gallery.

Quote of the day

"Much as we feel a sense of privacy in the openness of a restaurant, so might a transparent society provide a sense, and the reality, of privacy much better than one in which surveillance is hidden but nevertheless there. Much depends on how humans decide to behave...in a society already reasonably tolerant we might reach a point when the private matters of everyone are both readily accessible and simply uninteresting. Rather than vainly attempting to save privacy, we should strive to create a society that is ever more transparent, ever more exposed."

~David Brin, From: The Transparent Society

NanoEthics today

My friend and colleague Patrick Lin is the Research Director for The Nanoethics Group. Quoting from their website:

"The Nanoethics Group is a non-partisan and independent organization that studies the ethical and societal implications of nanotechnology. We also engage the public as well as collaborate with nanotech ventures and research institutes on related issues that will impact the industry. By proactively opening a dialogue about the possible misuses and unintended consequences of nanotechnology, the industry can avoid the mistakes that others have made repeatedly in business, most recently in the biotech sector - ignoring the issues, reacting too late and losing the critical battle of public opinion."

From my point of view, Patrick is an intelligent, articulate and knowledgeable speaker for his cause; one which I fully support. So it was a great pleasure to hear that TNG has recently spoken at the Cal/EPA Nanotechnology Symposium, where Patrick presented "Understanding the Debate: A Critical Look at Reasons For and Against More Regulation in Nanotechnology."

And now quoting from their press release regarding (1) the symposium:

"Dr. Lin will explain the overarching argument for stricter laws and regulations in nanotechnology as well as evaluate its initial plausibility. He will then provide analysis for five main objections to the argument, with a focus on the two strongest objections: 1) the Self-Regulation objection that it is better for the nano-industry to regulate itself, rather than have new rules imposed by government agencies less familiar with the industry or nanotech; and 2) the Other Harms objection that new rules would stunt the growth of a nascent nano-industry, causing economic damage and other harms."

As a follow-up to the symposium, TNG produced a PDF (2) covering Patrick’s slide show. You will get a nice overview of TNG’s positions regarding the crucial issues surrounding nanotechnology. One of the points that I take away from the PDF is their statement that "We’re not activists, advocates or watchdogs," which I find to be both factual and a policy that makes them a bit more credible than those with an ax to grind.

I encourage you to read through the material provided by TNG (links below). Once you have read it, you will be a great deal more informed regarding why we need to pay attention to nanotechnologies. You will also be better able to take part in the debate; a debate that all stakeholders (anyone who has a vested interest in a goal; that’s you and I and everyone else who lives on Planet Earth) need to pay attention to.

(1) http://www.nanoethics.org/rls022007.html
(2) http://www.nanoethics.org/slides.pdf

Picture of the day

Eigler's Eyes

From NanoArt 2006. © Copyright Chris Robinson (click to see larger version)

NANOART is a new art discipline related to micro/nanosculptures created by artists/scientists through chemical/physical processes and/or natural micro/nanostructures that are visualized with powerful research tools like Scanning Electron Microscope and Atomic Force Microscope.

NanoArt could be for the 21st Century what Photography was for the 20th Century. We live in a technological society, in a new Renaissance period, and there is no reason for Arts to stay away from Technology. NanoArt is the expression of the New Technological Revolution and reflects the transition from Science to Art using Technology.

See all of Chris Robinson's NanoArt 2006 entries here, or visit his website.

Please contact me if you would like to submit an image. (rocky at bir-consulting.com)

Quote of the day

"History is a race between education and catastrophe."

~H. G. Wells

---

"If we don't get in early on nanotechnology, we will miss an incredible opportunity. We must aggressively go after research funding and business investment. If it's going to be a California industry, we must act now and invest in education and our innovation infrastructure."

~Steve Westly, Controller, State of California

---

"The youth of today are the nanotechnology workers of tomorrow. Beginning science education in college is too late, we need to start early to interest and prepare students in science-related careers such as nanotechnology."

~Aadron Rausch, Purdue Extension Specialist

Education, Pt. I

Preparing the workforce needed to fill all the jobs to be created by nanotechnologies within the next two decades is a daunting task. Predictions suggest that by 2015, more than 2 million workers will be needed to fill all the jobs created by nanotechnologies. Accordingly, educating the workforce now to fill those high paying future jobs has got to be a priority for any country that desires them.

Along with the other previously posted regular features, education will be a recurring posting.

Here is a synopsis covering the period February 24, 2007, to March 09, 2007.

"Aimed at students between the ages of 15 and 19, the IBN Nano-Bio Kits feature interactive experiments and lessons on practical applications in nanobiotechnology, drug delivery, and medical devices."

(From: Singapore's IBN launches Nano-Bio Kits to teach nanotechnology
http://www.smalltimes.com/articles/article_display.cfm?Section=ONART&C=Educa&ARTICLE_ID=286791&p=109)

"According to him, the interest among students for 'pure science' in both India and the U.S. are on the decline. ‘Science is a way of thinking. The focus of science education should be to motivate students to learn the subject with interest and instill a scientific temper in them.’"

(From: On a mission http://www.hindu.com/2007/03/02/stories/2007030200920200.htm)

"Researchers at ASU have been studying the impact of nanoparticles, such as titanium dioxide/oxide (TiO2), which is found in sunscreen and many other products, on aquatic organisms. With so much to study in the way of nanoparticles, they agreed to enlist the help of a rather curious high school student."

(From: High school student starts research career early by focusing on nanoparticles found in sunscreen http://www.asu.edu/news/stories/200703/20070302_sunscreen.htm)

"NanoBioNexus has announced its partnership with UCSD Extension, the professional education division of UCSD, with a 40 year history serving as the catalyst for continued economic, intellectual and cultural growth in San Diego and Baja California. NBN has designed a course,"Introduction to Nanobiotechnology" which will be offered April 24th as part of Extension's "Cutting-Edge Knowledge" offerings in the Spring 2007 catalogue. The curriculum and the lead instructor for the course will be provided by NanoBioNexus."

(From: NanoBioNexus Partners with UCSD Extension for Nanobiotechnology Course
http://www.nanotech-now.com/news.cgi?story_id=20897)

"Kashmir University is open for students from all over the world and we are continuing to upgrade the infrastructure to match it with other world class universities."

(From: Kashmir University head for 20 pc reservation to PaK students http://www.kashmirnewz.com/n000132.html)

"Meanwhile, the National Assessment of Educational Progress … 2005 scores in science also showed the most progress among fourth-graders at 68 percent having partial or better understanding (of science). By 12th grade, about half the high schoolers passed the basic level, and 18 percent were even proficient. But that means that half the seniors didn't know enough."

(From: Big arguments build on basic science facts http://www.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070303/OPINION04/703030309/1105/OPINION)

"Image Dynamics™ have pioneered the development of miniaturised learning & development modules which lasts between 30-120 seconds. This new learning & development process is already gaining significant interest from leading corporations. The process engages the user at a deep emotional level by combining imagery, reflective questions and keywords within a variety of animation sequences."

(From: Powerful Nano-Learning Process Breaks New Ground in Global Learning & Development http://www.nanotech-now.com/news.cgi?story_id=20916)

"To receive a copy of the 2007 Small Times University Survey please email Thomas Markley or call 603-891-9307. For questions regarding the content of the survey - please email Barbara Goode or call 603-891-9194."

(From: Information and FAQ on University Survey 2007 http://www.smalltimes.com/articles/article_display.cfm?Section=ONART&C=Educa&ARTICLE_ID=286166&p=109)

"A well-known Chinese institute that issues global rankings on universities around the world ranked this university (University of Maryland) among the top 25 colleges and universities in three out of five broad academic subject areas this year."

(From: Global rankings give university a boost http://media.www.diamondbackonline.com/media/storage/paper873/news/2007/03/07/News/Global.Rankings.Give.University.A.Boost-2761715.shtml)

"Immerse yourself in the world of the latest research developments - a walk through the Science Tunnel presented by the Max Planck Society makes it possible. The multimedia exhibition will be officially opened on March 7, 2007 in Brussels."

(From: Nanotechnology part of European cutting-edge research exhibition http://www.nanowerk.com/news/newsid=1582.php)

"Assisting immigrants and their children to prepare for opportunities for leadership in their various fields in the United States is the mission of the Paul and Daisy Soros Fellowship program for New Americans."

(From: LCHS Grad Named a Soros Fellow http://www.lacanadaonline.com/articles/2007/03/08/news/lnws-dang301.txt)

"The USC NanoCenter and Benedict College present the South Carolina Citizen’s School of Nanotechnology for this spring beginning March 7 on the Benedict campus."

(From: USC, Benedict Present Nanotechnology School http://www.free-times.com/index.php?cat=1992912064025693&ShowArticle_ID=11000703073039528)

"…told city school district officials earlier this week that the massive reorganization planned for the middle schools and Albany High is missing crucial input from parents and other community members. The plan also calls for transforming Philip Livingston Magnet Academy from a middle school into one of the high school's academies: the academy of nanoscale science, engineering and environmental science."

(From: Caution urged on school makeover http://timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=570389&category=ALBANY&BCCode=&newsdate=3/9/2007)

"Windber Area High School faculty members are looking for ways to get students involved in the field of nanotechnology. School administrators recently attended a tour of the nanotechnology facilities at Pennsylvania State University's main campus in an attempt to find a way to expose students to this new technology."

(From: School explores ways to bring new technology to students http://www.dailyamerican.com/articles/2007/03/09/news/friday/news04.txt)

"'We want to showcase UK Science, raise the profile of science and improve perception of science as a career option.' Though Science is popular, she thinks students should go into the different branches of science and see that it could be interesting and fun."

(From: Young Scientists from UK http://www.sundaytimes.lk/070225/FunDay/fd1.html)

"The Austin Technology Council is launching a new academy focused around science, math and technology to create the next generation of tech experts."

(From: New tech academy launching http://austin.bizjournals.com/austin/stories/2007/02/26/daily21.html)

"The goal is to develop opportunities for SDSU faculty and students working in partnership with Argonne to pursue fields of science and technology that are of mutual interest and that, importantly, advance science and technology-driven economic development in South Dakota."

(From: SDSU forms partnership with Argonne National Laboratory http://media.www.sdsucollegian.com/media/storage/paper484/news/2007/02/28/News/Sdsu-Forms.Partnership.With.Argonne.National.Laboratory-2749173.shtml)

For custom reports in your areas of interest, contact me at rocky at bir-consulting.com

Picture of the day

Nano Poolette

From NanoArt 2006. © Copyright Carol Cooper (click to see larger version)

NANOART is a new art discipline related to micro/nanosculptures created by artists/scientists through chemical/physical processes and/or natural micro/nanostructures that are visualized with powerful research tools like Scanning Electron Microscope and Atomic Force Microscope.

NanoArt could be for the 21st Century what Photography was for the 20th Century. We live in a technological society, in a new Renaissance period, and there is no reason for Arts to stay away from Technology. NanoArt is the expression of the New Technological Revolution and reflects the transition from Science to Art using Technology.

See all of Carol Cooper's NanoArt 2006 entries here, or visit her website.

Please contact me if you would like to submit an image. (rocky at bir-consulting.com)

Quote of the day

"Nanotechnology, the manipulation of matter at the level of individual atoms and molecules, offers the greatest benefits for society if left to grow through modest regulation, civilian research, and an emphasis on self-regulation and responsible professional culture."

~Sonia Arrison, Director of Technology Studies, Pacific Research Institute

---

Technology Review: Will fair regulation of a field as complex as nanotechnology be possible without a radical new approach?
Richard Denison: We've dealt with some pretty tough issues in regulation and legislation, and I don't know if nano is so novel or so unique that it's going to require a whole new approach. We understand the basics of assessing hazard. We understand the basics of assessing exposure and mitigating exposure. Those need to be tailored and adapted to the characteristics of nanomaterials, but I don't know that we're talking about anything much more radical than that.

~From: Can Nanotech Be Regulated (an interview by Technology Review, with Richard Denison. See http://www.technologyreview.com/NanoTech/wtr_16176,319,p2.html)

---

The public's fear of and fascination with nanotechnology is largely exaggerated, said George M. Whitesides, professor of chemistry at Harvard University. "There is a lot of hyperbole and anxiety" over nanotechnology, he said, accompanied by an overperception of risk, such as the specter of self-replicating nanobots gone amok. "The 'grey goo' and apocalyptic views are largely irrational," he said.

~From: Nanotech Ethics Debated. See http://www.biomedcentral.com/news/20031208/04

Regulation, risk management, safety and ethics

Following on the theme of "perceptions" from yesterday’s post, today I would like to cover more on regulation, risk management, safety and ethics. These are topics that I will cover on a regular basis.

The following are excerpts from the first week of February, 2007.

"Nanotechnology—the so-called "science of the small"—is raising some really big questions about the adequacy of the current federal oversight system. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is grappling with understanding the jurisdiction and applicability of major laws, like the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) and the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), with respect to nanotechnology. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is evaluating the effectiveness of the agency's regulatory approaches and authorities to meet the potential unique challenges presented by the use of nanomaterials in FDA-regulated products, and the agency expects to issue its findings in July 2007."

(From: Nanotechnology: Thinking Big About Things Small http://www.nanotech-now.com/news.cgi?story_id=21015)


"A Swiss firm is offering the first process risk management and safety certification for pharma companies working with nanoparticles and technologies. A Swiss firm is offering the first process risk management and safety certification for pharma companies working with nanoparticles and technologies."

(From: World's first nanospecific safety label http://www.in-pharmatechnologist.com/news/ng.asp?n=74792-the-innovation-society-cenarios-nanotechnology-safety-drug-delivery)


"Despite the potential benefits to agrifood producers, retailers and consumers, nanotechnology’s applications in the food industry are a reason for concern for many. Stone points out that privacy and control issues associated with agrifood and nanotechnology are likely to be among several hot-button issues."

(From: Old food meets new technologies, leaves food for thought
http://msutoday.msu.edu/research/index.php3?article=02Mar2007-5)


"A greater understanding of the interaction of nanomaterials with biological systems, especially of the interaction of nanomaterials with cell membranes, will enable scientists to take full advantage of the unique properties of nanomaterials while minimizing their adverse effects."

(From: The challenge of designing nanomaterials with reduced toxicity http://www.nanotech-now.com/news.cgi?story_id=20890)


"The NEW Precise(TM) HEPA-Filtered Glove Boxes provide a physical barrier to protect the operator form hazardous airborne particulates and powders. These economical boxes have uses in pharmaceutical research, nanotechnology and biochemistry applications."

(From: Glove Boxes protect user from hazardous particulates http://news.thomasnet.com/fullstory/509859/1424)


"There are two kinds of ethicists. The first kind makes you think about what it is you want, and why. The second kind tells you what you should want. The first kind of ethicist is very valuable. The second can be damaging."

(From: Exploring Nano-Ethics http://ieet.org/index.php/IEET/more/phoenix20070227/)


For custom reports in your areas of interest, contact me at rocky at bir-consulting.com

Picture of the day

Nanorb 4

From NanoArt 2006. © Copyright Abigail Kurtz Migala (click to see larger version)

NANOART is a new art discipline related to micro/nanosculptures created by artists/scientists through chemical/physical processes and/or natural micro/nanostructures that are visualized with powerful research tools like Scanning Electron Microscope and Atomic Force Microscope.

NanoArt could be for the 21st Century what Photography was for the 20th Century. We live in a technological society, in a new Renaissance period, and there is no reason for Arts to stay away from Technology. NanoArt is the expression of the New Technological Revolution and reflects the transition from Science to Art using Technology.

See all of Abigail Kurtz Migala's NanoArt 2006 entries here, or visit her website.

Please contact me if you would like to submit an image. (rocky at bir-consulting.com)

Quote of the day

"Nanotechnology operates at such a fundamental level that there is very little of a technological nature that it will not impact. Thus its effects on energy generation, transmission, storage and consumption are numerous and diverse. Some will be incremental and some quite possibly revolutionary."

~Paul Holister, a consultant specialising in the commercial and societal impacts of new technologies

How is nanotechnology perceived?

Several articles on how nanotechnology is perceived by the public crossed my desk this morning, so I thought I would pass along a few pertinent excerpts.

"According to a recent Eurobarometer, Europeans do not perceive nanotech as risky; rather, they support its development, perceive it as being useful to society and morally acceptable and have far greater confidence in regulation than for example their transatlantic counterparts in the US or Canada.

Everybody agrees that more research on the health and environmental risks posed by nanoparticles is needed to be sure that asbestos-type disasters will not come back to haunt nanotech companies in the future.

Consumer confidence and public trust in nanotech are also directly linked with access to understandable information on the technology. Such information will allow people to understand what nanotechnology is, how it will be applied and its implications for society. Involving citizens with science policymaking through an open debate and analysis of benefits and risks (both real and perceived) of nanotech have been highlighted as one way forward in regulating nanotech."

(From Nanotechnology and consumer confidence http://www.euractiv.com/en/science/nanotechnology-consumer-confidence/article-161268


"The U.S. public's perception of nanotechnology is up for grabs," said Yale University Professor Dan Kahan, one of the online survey's investigators. "It could divide along the lines of nuclear power, global warming and other contentious environmental issues, absent a major public education and engagement effort by industry, government, civic groups and scientists."

(From Survey finds nanotechnology attitudes vary http://www.sciencedaily.com/upi/index.php?feed=Science&article=UPI-1-20070307-10034000-bc-us-nanotechnology.xml


"As the emerging field of nanotechnology enters the public consciousness, mass media play an important role in shaping public attitudes about the new science. …newspapers and the Internet help people better understand nanotechnology research, but television news accounts have a more emotional effect."

(From Media effects on public attitudes toward nanotechnology
http://www.news.wisc.edu/13534.html)


"…when it comes to nanotechnology, Lakhtakia and his colleagues found most people aren't paying much attention. Or, if they are aware of the field, their reactions are too often overly enthusiastic, uninformed or alarmist."

(From Most people nanotechnology ignorant
http://www.sciencedaily.com/upi/index.php?feed=Science&article=UPI-1-20070122-15323700-bc-us-nanotechnology.xml)


"Control and tighter regulations are required to make nanotechnology safer, proclaimed the U.N. on 5th February 2007. UNEP (U.N.'s Environment Program) in its yearly report on global environment said, swift action from the policy makers was the need of the hour so as to allow the proper evaluation of new science."

(From Nanotechnology Needs Tighter Control
http://www.newswiretoday.com/news/14937/)


And listen to the debate points as they are being considered by our cousins down under at:

The Implications for Health, Safety and the Environment of the Nanotech Revolution
Total running time 33 mins, File size: 13.4Mb, File Type: mp3 (www.azonano.com/podcasts/nano.mp3)

I also recommend the magazine Nanotechnology Perceptions - A Review of Ultraprecision Engineering and Nanotechnology. See http://pages.unibas.ch/colbas/ntp/ for details.

Picture of the day

Nebula of Man

From NanoArt 2006. © Copyright Darcy Lewis (click to see larger version)

NANOART is a new art discipline related to micro/nanosculptures created by artists/scientists through chemical/physical processes and/or natural micro/nanostructures that are visualized with powerful research tools like Scanning Electron Microscope and Atomic Force Microscope.

NanoArt could be for the 21st Century what Photography was for the 20th Century. We live in a technological society, in a new Renaissance period, and there is no reason for Arts to stay away from Technology. NanoArt is the expression of the New Technological Revolution and reflects the transition from Science to Art using Technology.

See all of Darcy Lewis's NanoArt 2006 entries here.

Please contact me if you would like to submit an image. (rocky at bir-consulting.com)

Quote of the day

"No sensible decision can be made any longer without taking into account not only the world as it is, but the world as it will be….This, in turn, means that our statesmen, our businessmen, our everyman must take on a science fictional way of thinking."

~Isaac Asimov

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"If you aren't very excited about this (nanotechnology) you're not paying attention."

~William BC Crandall, Author, founder and director of Molecular Realities, founder and president of Memetic Engineering, and cofounder of Prime Arithmetics, Inc.

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"Critical investment in nanotechnology today will lead to discoveries tomorrow that are now beyond our own imagination. Nanotechnology's potential to change the way we invent and create is almost limitless."

~Gordon Smith (R-OR)

The Space Elevator – An Interview with LiftPort's Michael J. Laine

Yes, I’m a believer. I believe in the promise of the Space Elevator (SE). I also believe that we are well on our way to perfecting the technologies that will enable the SE. Further, I believe that the SE itself will enable humankind to “go where no one has gone before” in ways that our 1960’s era space technology cannot.

Another believer is Michael J. Laine, President and Chief Strategic Officer of the LiftPort Group "The Space Elevator Companies." My favorite quote: “We are building a tool for future generations of the earth.”

The following is an excerpt of the interview I did with Michael on the SE.

RR: What advantages does having a SE bring to the country or business that builds the first one?

It means limitless, safe, simple, affordable access to space, with a predictable cargo schedule. It means the cargo can become an enormous increase in energy resources (huge solar energy satellites supplying clean - endlessly renewable - power back to earth); expanded, permanent settlements on the moon and mars and asteroids, and a stepping stone beyond, into the 'wild black yonder.' It means expanded communications to everyone on the planet - phone, video, internet, because of a greatly increased commsat infrastructure. It means bio-science advances that may allow us to live longer and in greater comfort in our old age, and better, higher purity medicines that we will use in our goal of a full and healthy life. So these advantages would go to the whole planet, really.

RR: Who's for it, and why?

The day we open for business, we will have 10x the current global launch capacity... that means that basic supply and demand forces will apply, and the cost per pound will drop dramatically. We are anticipating $400/lb ranges, and some people are predicting it could go lower than that, once the 2nd and 3rd elevators are built.

So, who will it benefit? Anyone that wants low-cost, high-volume access to space. This would mean, for instance, that smaller schools could do space-based research. Instead of a huge budget allocation, smaller schools could open up new branches of research, because the costs of access have dropped so much. What this means is that we could see significant advances in biosciences, pharmaceuticals, electronics and material sciences.

RR: In your opinion, if a full-scale effort was launched today, how long before the first SE could be built?

Look at our countdown clock. we are serious about it. Lots of big projects, space, factories, tunnels, bridges say something like "in 20 years we'll..." and that gives them a lot of room to fudge the numbers and let deadlines slip. We don't want to be that kind of project.

We've set a date (October 27, 2031), and that is what we are working toward.

Many people have laughed at us about this. That's fine, my team knows how many days are left and our internal motto is 'Every Day Is Precious.' We know people are counting on us to make this happen, and we don't intend to let them down.


Read the entire interview: http://www.nanotech-now.com/Michael-Laine-Oct2004.htm

Picture of the day

From the Moon 2

From NanoArt 2006. © Copyright Jan Kirstein (click to see larger version)

NANOART is a new art discipline related to micro/nanosculptures created by artists/scientists through chemical/physical processes and/or natural micro/nanostructures that are visualized with powerful research tools like Scanning Electron Microscope and Atomic Force Microscope.

NanoArt could be for the 21st Century what Photography was for the 20th Century. We live in a technological society, in a new Renaissance period, and there is no reason for Arts to stay away from Technology. NanoArt is the expression of the New Technological Revolution and reflects the transition from Science to Art using Technology.

See all of Jan Kirstein's NanoArt 2006 entries here, or visit her website.

Please contact me if you would like to submit an image. (rocky at bir-consulting.com)

Quote of the day

"Among America's most serious concerns are national security (intimately tied to our energy security), long-term economic competitiveness and the dangers of global warming. Energy is at the center of all of these concerns, and thus is the single most important problem that science and technology must solve in the coming decades."

~Steve Chu, Director Berkeley Lab

Exploring Tomorrow – A Report from the World Future Society

The following are five forecasts from The World Future Society and its magazine THE FUTURIST.

Social and Technological Forecasts for the Next 25 Years

Forecast #1: Hydrogen fuel cells will be cost competitive by 2010. The cost of power via fuel cell is dropping rapidly-from $600,000 per kilowatt-hour in the 1970s to $1,200 today. By 2012, fuel cell power is expected to cost around $400 per kilowatt-hour. It would then be competitive with every type of power. Fuel cells will power cars and allow each home to have its own non-polluting electricity generator.

Forecast #5: Speculation in hydrogen energy stocks could create an investment bubble, as happened with the Internet. When investors see the huge potential of hydrogen energy, the stocks of companies with promising technologies may skyrocket to unsustainable levels.

Forecast #6: Ocean Currents May Surpass Wind as an Energy Source. Turbines driven by ocean currents could generate four times more electricity than windmills. At one site alone-in the Channel Islands off the coast of France-the potential electricity could match that produced by three nuclear power plants.

Forecast #8: Weapons of mass destruction will be even easier to obtain over the next 15 years. Terrorists may move from bombs to creating havoc on the cellular level. The weapons of the future-genetic engineering and nanotechnology-require neither large facilities nor mass materials.

Forecast #9: The convergence of genetic engineering, nanotechnology and robotics will allow humans to change their bodies in profoundly new ways. In the next 15 years, people may be able to rearrange their genes to change their physical features, extend their lifespan, merge their brains with computers and their bodies with robots, among many other remarkable developments.

I bring these to your attention because nanotechnologies play an enabling role in each scenario.

Specific to nanotechnology, they also offer these forecasts for the next 15 years:

Two to five years from now:

1. Car tires that need air only once a year.
   
2. Complete medical diagnostics on a single computer chip.
   
3. Go-anywhere concentrators that produce drinkable water from air.
   
   Five to 10 years:
   
   
4. Powerful computers you can wear or fold into your wallet.
   
5. Drugs that turn AIDS and cancer into manageable conditions.
   
6. Smart buildings that self-stabilize during earthquakes or bombings.
   
   10 to 15 years:
   
   
7. Artificial intelligence so sophisticated you can't tell if you're talking on the phone with a human or a machine.
   
8. Paint-on computer and entertainment video displays.
   
9. Elimination of invasive surgery, since bodies can be monitored and repaired almost totally from within.
   

I highly recommend reports from the WFS as well as membership. There are very few sources of credible information about the future, and fewer still at the rate WFS charges.

For details, visit www.wfs.org/foresight/

(Full disclosure: I was not paid for or otherwise compensated for this endorsement.)