After a yearlong hiatus, I thought it was about time that I got back on the nano-horse and giddy-yupped into some new thoughts and understandings regarding that tiny little thing we call “nanotechnology.”
As previous readers understand, when I say “nanotechnology” I mean all nanoscale technologies, of which there are thousands today and millions on the technological horizon.
In late 2009, I presented several thought-leaders with the same question that I had asked in years past. “If you had the attention of the entire world, what would you say about nanoscale technologies?”
The answers that I received bring us a step closer to realizing that there continues to be an urgent need for society to pay attention to the mind-boggling rapid growth in our understanding and implementation of nanoscale technologies. Let me put it another way: We are learning more about (and more really important stuff about) why things are different at the nanoscale.
There are maybe a few hundred individuals who understand advanced technologies and can articulate their impact as well as these contributors. (Full disclosure: these folks are long-time, long distance, global-connectivity friends and associates. I seriously respect their individual and collective understanding of and opinions regarding advanced technologies. Mike Treder, Robert A. Freitas Jr. , Neil Gordon, Jack Uldrich and Vic Peña are just some of the world-class minds who you should spend a small part of your time listening to, if you do not do so already.)
From the Futurist
From the futurist we learn that nanoscale technologies are simply another set of new technologies that we need to understand and prepare for. How important are they? They are important on the order of: today and every day that follows, we will be introduced to another of thousands of new products that owe their technological and market leadership to “nanotechnology.” Today and every day that follows we will be confronted by decisions regarding whether or not to allow a nanotech-enabled product into the market; whether or not to pull an existing product from the market because it is simply connected to “nanotech” (or is in fact faulty in some way, thereby tarnishing with the same brush every other nano-enable product). As sure as the day after today is tomorrow, nanotech-enabled products will create a huge stir within society. How well we adapt to those products depends on how much we pay attention, today.
From the Medical Scientist
From the medical scientist we learn that “Medical nanorobotics holds the greatest promise for curing disease and extending the human healthspan.” Cool! Count me in! Nanotech-enabled machines roving around in my body, repairing cellular damage, detecting disease and malfunction, and generally keeping me a fit old son, yeah, count me in. Make me smarter you say?! COUNT ME IN!
From the economists/business men
And from the economists/business men we learn that critically important dollars are not being spent on nanoscale technologies, but are instead being squandered on “business as usual” and politics. Why, oh why, do we sit ineffectively by and watch as our leaders, of both parties, waste our dollars and squander both our future and our grandchildren’s heritage?
We also learn to have a sense of excitement regarding the short- and long-term potential of nanoscale technologies (in spite of our leader’s ineptitude, short-term-gains mindset and back-room dealings).
No one pretends that democracy is perfect or all-wise. Indeed, it has been said that democracy is the worst form of government except all those other forms that have been tried from time to time. -- Winston Churchill, November 1947
What can we learn from this? Depends on who you are. Average citizens may feel a bit overwhelmed by the exceeding complexity of the science, the enormous potential for societal change, and/or the continued nonsensical meddling in the markets by our elected officials. Scientists, economists, innovators, inventors, investors, and savvy business folk know without a doubt that nano-enabled technologies, followed by the inevitable advanced products, will create massive shock-waves in each of their respective areas. By the way, that means if you can answer “Yes” to “Do you live on Planet Earth?” then count on the fact that the future is going to present us with an increasingly complex and exuberantly abundant supply of new technologies that will change our lifestyles and force us sit up and pay attention.
Of course, that is just my take; the futurist, the medical scientist, and the economists/business men may hit you from a totally divergent p-o-v, and yet I bet we all agree that “May you live in interesting times” never meant as much as it does right here, right now (are you paying attention yet?)
Rocky Rawstern, March 15, 2010
Here are their answers
Mike Treder – Our Future Depends on Us / Technology is Only a Tool
Every technology—no matter how powerful—is never a solution in itself. It is only a tool, to be used by its owners for good or for ill. This is as true for nanotechnology as it was for electricity or for the printing press before it.
We should never fall into the trap of looking for or expecting our technologies to save us. Emerging technologies—whether nanotech or AI or synthetic biology do not emerge into nor from a vacuum. They are always developed within a context of political reality, amidst the daily tussle over regulation, funding, and proper usage. They do not arise fully-grown and pristine, but are hammered out, molded, shaped, and modified through endless discussions in corporate boardrooms and the halls of government.
Thus, the color of our future depends much more on us—that is, on our political practices and choices—than on our technologies.
(c) 2010 Mike Treder
Mike Treder is the managing director of the Institute for Ethics and Emerging Technologies, is a prolific writer, speaker, and activist with a background in media and communications. He has published dozens of articles and papers and been interviewed numerous times by the media. As an accomplished presenter on the societal implications of emerging technologies, Mr. Treder has addressed conferences and groups around the world, including in the U.S., Canada, Great Britain, Spain, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, Australia, New Zealand, and Brazil.
Treder co-founded the Center for Responsible Nanotechnology (CRN) in 2002 and served as its executive director for six years. CRN promotes public awareness and education about the implications of molecular manufacturing, with the aim of creating and implementing wise, comprehensive, and balanced plans for global management of the technology. Treder currently sits on the Board of Advisors for CRN.
In addition to his work with the IEET, Mike Treder is a consultant to the Millennium Project of the American Council for the United Nations University, serves on the Scientific Advisory Board for the Lifeboat Foundation, is a member of the New York Academy of Sciences, a consultant to the Future Technologies Advisory Group, and a member of the World Future Society.
Visit ieet.org/index.php/IEET/bio/treder/
Robert A. Freitas Jr. – Molecular Manufacturing and Medical Nanorobotics
The ultimate tool of nanomedicine is the medical nanorobot – a robot the size of a bacterium, composed of molecule-size parts somewhat resembling macroscale gears, bearings, and ratchets. Like a regular robot, a nanorobot may be made of many thousands of mechanical parts, such as bearings and gears, composed of strong diamond-like material. A nanorobot will have motors to make things move, and perhaps manipulator arms or mechanical legs for mobility. It will have a power supply for energy, sensors to guide its actions, and an onboard computer to control its behavior. Medical nanorobotics holds the greatest promise for curing disease and extending the human healthspan.
To build medical nanorobots, we need to create a new technology called molecular manufacturing. Molecular manufacturing is the production of complex atomically precise structures using positionally controlled fabrication and assembly of nanoparts inside a nanofactory. We’ve published the first description of a complete set of tools and positionally controlled reactions that should enable building small bits of perfect diamond crystal, based on extensive analysis and quantum chemistry simulations of a large number of potential tooltips and reaction sequences.
Ralph Merkle and I founded the Nanofactory Collaboration to coordinate a combined experimental and theoretical R&D program to design and build the first working diamondoid nanofactory. This long-term effort is developing the initial technology of positionally controlled mechanosynthesis of diamondoid structures using engineered tooltips and simple molecular feedstock. One of our international colleagues is undertaking direct experiments to build and validate several of our proposed mechanosynthesis tooltips.
(c) 2010 Robert A. Freitas Jr.
Robert A. Freitas Jr., J.D., published the first detailed technical design study of a medical nanorobot ever published in a peer-reviewed mainstream biomedical journal and is the author of Nanomedicine, the first book-length technical discussion of the medical applications of nanotechnology and medical nanorobotics. Volume I was published in October 1999 by Landes Bioscience while Freitas was a Research Fellow at the Institute for Molecular Manufacturing (IMM) in Palo Alto, California. Freitas published Volume IIA in October 2003 with Landes Bioscience while serving as a Research Scientist at Zyvex Corp., a nanotechnology company headquartered in Richardson, Texas during 2000-2004. Freitas is now completing Nanomedicine Volumes IIB and III and is also consulting on diamond mechanosynthesis, molecular assembler design, and nanofactory implementation as Senior Research Fellow at IMM. He won the 2009 Feynman Prize in nanotechnology for theory, the 2007 Foresight Prize in Communication, and the 2006 Guardian Award from Lifeboat Foundation.
Visit www.rfreitas.com
Neil Gordon – 2009 was a bad year for nanotechnology
The financial demise of long established nanotechnology companies such as Nanogen, Evident Technologies, Luna Innovations, and NanoDynamics may be an expected fall-out of the economic downturn. However, the real impact of the financial crisis to nanotechnology is more pronounced.
Technology ventures need funding to develop and commercialize new products. Greater investments are required for advanced offerings employing nanotechnology because of the long time horizon for adopting nanotech into end user products or processes. Not only do nano-enabled products offer the potential for better, faster, cheaper and more environmentally-friendly applications, they also bring high tech R&D and manufacturing jobs that will be in demand for decades to come. So with unprecedented government stimulus spending one might expect a boom time for nanotech companies on the cusp of commercialization.
However, what we are seeing is completely different. Money is being used:
- to reward financiers for bad investment decisions instead of infusing capital to early stage ventures and Series A venture capitalists.
- to create government programs that will increase the cost of health care instead of new technologies for lowering the cost of health care.
- for preventing the spread of a flu strain that killed less than 10% of the infected people from a typical seasonal flu rather than funding new technologies for treating more virulent diseases
- for deploying under-effective counter-terrorism activities instead of new surveillance technologies for the early detection of explosives, illegal drugs, infected people, toxic food, and contaminated water
- to finance bankrupt automobile companies to manufacture the same cars that caused the bankruptcies rather than funding disruptive production and performance innovations that will be competitive against low cost cars from China and India.
- for middlemen to manage and extract fees from carbon cap-and-trade schemes rather acquiring prototypes employing breakthrough energy technologies
So where does nanotechnology stand at the end of 2009? Apparently at the bottom of the 2009 priority list. 2010 appears to be an equally disappointing year.
(c) 2010 Neil Gordon
Neil is the CEO of Early Warning, a NASA spin-off company and co-inventor of the world’s first inline diagnostic nano-biosensor that automatically detects pathogenic bacteria, viruses and parasites in water in under 3 hours. He was previously the President of the Canadian NanoBusiness Alliance, and head of a nanotechnology consulting practice at Sygertech where he was involved in over 20 nanotechnology projects over the last 10 years.
Visit http://www.earlywarninginc.com/
and
nanoscale-materials-and-nanotechnolog.blogspot.com/2009/01/neil-gordon-goes-to-market.html
Jack Uldrich – The impact of nanotechnology is going to be huge
To those who don't believe nanotechnology will change the world in the near future just because it hasn't accomplished much in the last 20 years, consider this little quiz: If a single lily pad began doubling on a pond on the first day of June and doubled each day thereafter until the entire pond was covered by the end of the month, on Day 20 what percentage of the pond would be covered with lily pads?
The answer is one-tenth of one percent. That's right, .1%! What happens over the next 10 days is a little short of amazing -- the entire pond gets covered. Such is the nature of exponential growth.
Now, advances in nanotechnology aren't quite experiencing exponential growth but they are close and over the course of the next decade nanotechnology's impact on material sciences, medicine, and energy are -- like the lily pads' spread over pond in the last few days -- going to be extraordinary."
(c) 2010 Jack Uldrich
jumpthecurve.net
unlearning101.com
Follow Jack at http://twitter.com/jumpthecurve
Vic Pe̱a РThe future is here and achievable!
About five years ago, I responded to a similar question. Like this. At that time I was firmly convinced that we had reached an historic milestone in the evolution of science, namely the foundation for the research and development of nanoscale technologies. I still have this conviction. In fact, I am more enthusiastic of the possibilities open to the human experience through nanoscale technologies. “The future is here and achievable.”
The future is here. We are achieving it (especially during the last decade) by accelerating, building, and evolving the principles upon which nanoscale technologies research and development thrive. We have created myriad nano-applications for development and commercialization not generally known or available in the past. We have brought the future to the present and are progressing towards greater achievement.
At the same time, we can say we are not the yet. Achievement in nanoscale technologies is an evolutionary process integrating all disciplines of science. And, we recognize that nanoscale achievement is critically dependent on education and funding. In the United States, the National Nanotechnology Initiative is at the forefront in promoting these. Admittedly, these are subject to the vagaries of societal and economic factors, but consider the advances made in nanoscale technologies.
Imagine what is achievable in our now and present future.
So, what do I say about nanoscale technologies? The future is here and achievable!
(c) 2010 Vic Peña
Co-Founder, nanoTITAN, Inc. (now shuttered)
Former Member, President’s Council of Advisers in Science and Technology (PCAST), Nanotechnology Technical Advisory Group (NTAG)
Former Chairman, Nanotechnology Committee, Northern Virginia Technology Council
Former Member Nanotechnology Advisory Committee, The Virginia House of Delegates
Founding Member Initiative for Nanotechnology in Virginia
In closing
I would like to close with the response from Ray Kurzweil from the previous Q&A. Why am I closing with this quote? Because it best illustrates the immediacy of the need for us to start paying attention (with graphs and charts and things that even I can understand!). (1)
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.
When will we have full molecular manufacturing? About 10 years after people stop laughing about the difficulty of building the first nanofactory. Let me put it another way: sometime within the next 15 years, possibly a lot sooner. Does that give us enough time to prepare? Certainly, but only if we start now.
May you live in interesting times!
Rocky Rawstern
(1) http://www.kurzweilai.net/articles/art0134.html?printable=1
From the previous Q & A:
http://nanoscale-materials-and-nanotechnolog.blogspot.com/2006/12/nanotechnology-q-pt-i.html
http://nanoscale-materials-and-nanotechnolog.blogspot.com/2006/12/nanotechnology-q-pt-i-more.html
http://nanoscale-materials-and-nanotechnolog.blogspot.com/2006/12/nanoscale-materials-q-pt-i.html
http://nanoscale-materials-and-nanotechnolog.blogspot.com/2006/12/nanotechnology-q-pt-i-more_21.html
Showing posts with label nanoelectronics. Show all posts
Showing posts with label nanoelectronics. Show all posts
Monday, March 15, 2010
Monday, December 22, 2008
Nano 'Bama
The nanobama structures are made of carbon nanotubes, and the pictures were taken using optical and electron microscopes. Structures and images made by John Hart, Sameh Tawfick, Michael De Volder, and Will Walker
Sunday, February 17, 2008
Jump The Curve
Once again, my favorite technology author Jack Uldrich makes complex topics accessible to the general reader. In his latest book, Jump The Curve: 50 Essential Strategies to Help Your Company Stay Ahead of Emerging Technologies, Uldrich explains how, “in the next decade, exponential trends in computers, data storage, bandwidth, gene sequencing, and other fields will transform the global economy.”
“With fifty vital strategies at its core, Jump The Curve teaches managers and organizations how to simultaneously adopt and stay ahead of both technology and trend.”
Insightful, thought provoking, and inspiring.
What you should take away from this bit
Get your hands on a copy, find a quiet place to read, and learn how you can Jump The Curve by taking advantage of the tremendous growth in technologies.
http://www.jumpthecurve.net/
This is one that I'll read a 2nd and 3rd time.
“With fifty vital strategies at its core, Jump The Curve teaches managers and organizations how to simultaneously adopt and stay ahead of both technology and trend.”
Insightful, thought provoking, and inspiring.
What you should take away from this bit
Get your hands on a copy, find a quiet place to read, and learn how you can Jump The Curve by taking advantage of the tremendous growth in technologies.
http://www.jumpthecurve.net/
This is one that I'll read a 2nd and 3rd time.
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Interesting Bits
A great bit on the Singularity starts with an article by Michael Anissimov, and follows up with a discussion. Read about how “The word “Singularity” has been losing meaning for a while now” and “Rather than any single idea, Singularity has become a signifier used to refer to a general cluster of ideas, some interrelated; some, blatantly not. These ideas include: exponential growth, transhuman intelligence, mind uploading, singletons, popularity of the Internet, feasibility of life extension, some developmentally predetermined “next step in human evolution”, feasibility of strong AI, feasibility of advanced nanotechnology, some odd spiritual-esque transcension, and whether or not human development is primarily dictated by technological or social forces."
"Quite frankly, it’s a mess.” To which I’d agree, in the sense that there are many opposing points of view and conflicting ideologies as to make this a topic that will remain contentious, and worth reading about.
http://www.acceleratingfuture.com/michael/blog/?p=504
----------------------------
The Center for Responsible Nanotechnology announced “a series of professional-quality scenarios of a near-future world in which exponential general-purpose molecular manufacturing becomes a reality.”
As a participant in the first CRN Task Force Scenario Project I would like to invite readers to consider these “what ifs” as worthwhile reading for anyone wishing to expand their understanding of advanced nanotechnologies and their implications.
And for those of you who would like to step off the sidelines and get in the game, consider this “You can participate in a discussion of these scenarios (and anything else you'd like to bring up) by joining our CRN-talk Yahoo group.”
http://www.crnano.org/CTF-Scenarios.htm
"Quite frankly, it’s a mess.” To which I’d agree, in the sense that there are many opposing points of view and conflicting ideologies as to make this a topic that will remain contentious, and worth reading about.
http://www.acceleratingfuture.com/michael/blog/?p=504
----------------------------
The Center for Responsible Nanotechnology announced “a series of professional-quality scenarios of a near-future world in which exponential general-purpose molecular manufacturing becomes a reality.”
As a participant in the first CRN Task Force Scenario Project I would like to invite readers to consider these “what ifs” as worthwhile reading for anyone wishing to expand their understanding of advanced nanotechnologies and their implications.
And for those of you who would like to step off the sidelines and get in the game, consider this “You can participate in a discussion of these scenarios (and anything else you'd like to bring up) by joining our CRN-talk Yahoo group.”
http://www.crnano.org/CTF-Scenarios.htm
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Jack is Back
Friend and colleague Jack Uldrich is making waves again in the “nanopool.” His new book, titled Jump the Curve: 50 Essential Strategies for Dealing with Emerging Technologies, brings to bear his all-encompassing insight into advanced technologies, including those enabled by nanoscale materials.
From an October 1, 2007 Nanotechnology Now posting:
Noted Author Unveils New Website Dedicated to Exponential Advances in Technology
The amount of technological progress that is afoot is nothing short of revolutionary. To help leaders in all fields understand the accelerating pace of this change as well as provide them with the unique insights and innovative ideas necessary to better prepare their organizations for this radical advance, noted author and well-respected global futurist, Jack Uldrich has unveiled a new website: http://jumpthecurve.net
The new website compliments Uldrich's forthcoming book…and will be written in the same user-friendly way as his best-selling book The Next Big is Really Small: How Nanotechnology Will Change the Future of Business.
Read the rest of the story at http://www.nanotech-now.com/news.cgi?story_id=25313
Here are a few of my favorite quotes from JTC:
It is still difficult to obtain money, but for bright, motivated people with good ideas there is plenty of money to be found. To this end, many of the exponential advances … are now being funded by large corporations with deep pockets.
…it is important to understand that today’s accelerating pace of technological change implies, among other things, that society will likely experience the equivalent of 50 years of progress (at the old 20th century rate of change) in the next 10 to 15 years. And everywhere I look today—in the fields of nanotechnology, robotics, synthetic biology, information technology and the cognitive sciences—I see the modern day equivalent of the Sputnik launch. … just as Sputnik led to advances in communications and, in the process, the creation of entirely new industries, today’s technological advances are going to do the same thing—only they will do so in a timeframe that is exponentially faster than what we have experienced in the past half century.
Look for JTC early 2008.
In closing: Jack has an amazing ability to distill the best bits from the noise, and convert the insights gained into language fit for most levels of understanding, from CEO to person-on-the-street. Pay attention to what he says, if not for the fact that “Jack does know Jack about advanced technologies” then for the way he makes it accessible to diverse groups of stakeholders.
From an October 1, 2007 Nanotechnology Now posting:
Noted Author Unveils New Website Dedicated to Exponential Advances in Technology
The amount of technological progress that is afoot is nothing short of revolutionary. To help leaders in all fields understand the accelerating pace of this change as well as provide them with the unique insights and innovative ideas necessary to better prepare their organizations for this radical advance, noted author and well-respected global futurist, Jack Uldrich has unveiled a new website: http://jumpthecurve.net
The new website compliments Uldrich's forthcoming book…and will be written in the same user-friendly way as his best-selling book The Next Big is Really Small: How Nanotechnology Will Change the Future of Business.
Read the rest of the story at http://www.nanotech-now.com/news.cgi?story_id=25313
Here are a few of my favorite quotes from JTC:
It is still difficult to obtain money, but for bright, motivated people with good ideas there is plenty of money to be found. To this end, many of the exponential advances … are now being funded by large corporations with deep pockets.
…it is important to understand that today’s accelerating pace of technological change implies, among other things, that society will likely experience the equivalent of 50 years of progress (at the old 20th century rate of change) in the next 10 to 15 years. And everywhere I look today—in the fields of nanotechnology, robotics, synthetic biology, information technology and the cognitive sciences—I see the modern day equivalent of the Sputnik launch. … just as Sputnik led to advances in communications and, in the process, the creation of entirely new industries, today’s technological advances are going to do the same thing—only they will do so in a timeframe that is exponentially faster than what we have experienced in the past half century.
Look for JTC early 2008.
In closing: Jack has an amazing ability to distill the best bits from the noise, and convert the insights gained into language fit for most levels of understanding, from CEO to person-on-the-street. Pay attention to what he says, if not for the fact that “Jack does know Jack about advanced technologies” then for the way he makes it accessible to diverse groups of stakeholders.
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
Important Quotes
Over the past 8+ years I have been gathering quotes that have a bearing on nanotechnology. Be they on investments, the ethics of advanced technologies, or forecasts and predictions, I have collects thousands of relevant quotes from individuals in business, government, academia, and the private sector.
Recently I put together a series of these quotes for my Access Team website "To help convey the most critical notions and core assumptions about nanotechnology and molecular manufacturing..." including these:
"As an emerging science in its infancy, nanotechnology promises the nano-scale manufacture of materials and machines made to atomic specifications. The impact of nanotechnology on our way of life is widely believed to reach profound and hitherto unimagined levels in the coming decades. Proposed changes include clean abundant energy, pollution-free and inexpensive production of superior defect-free materials, complete environmental restoration and cleanup, safe and affordable space travel and colonization, and quantum leaps in medicine leading to perfect health and immortality. As a result of these advances, we anticipate the obsolescence of nearly all of today's industrial and economic processes by the first half of the new century, leading to global and radical changes in life style, finance, law, and politics."
~Behfar Bastani and Dennis Fernandez
From Intellectual Property Rights for Nanotechnology
Starting around 2010, workers will cultivate expertise with systems of nanostructures, directing large numbers of intricate components to specified ends. One application could involve the guided self-assembly of nanoelectronic components into three-dimensional circuits and whole devices. Medicine could employ such systems to improve the tissue compatibility of implants, or to create scaffolds for tissue regeneration, or perhaps even to build artificial organs."
~Mihail C. Roco, Senior adviser for nanotechnology to the National Science Foundation and a key architect of the National Nanotechnology Initiative
"Over the next ten years, the fields of chemistry, physics, material sciences, biology, and computational sciences will converge in a way that will define nanotechnology and impact almost every industry, including computers, semiconductors, pharmaceuticals, defense, health care, communications, transportation, energy, environmental sciences, entertainment, chemicals, and manufacturing. Previously distinct disciplines will also combine: medicine and engineering, law and science, art and physics, etc. This merging will result in developments that are not simply evolutionary; they will be revolutionary."
~Jack Uldrich & Deb Newberry
Read this collection in full, here:
www.access-nanotechnology.com/quotes.htm
Visit Nanotechnology Now (nanotech-now.com) to read new quotes each week (left column, home page)
Recently I put together a series of these quotes for my Access Team website "To help convey the most critical notions and core assumptions about nanotechnology and molecular manufacturing..." including these:
"As an emerging science in its infancy, nanotechnology promises the nano-scale manufacture of materials and machines made to atomic specifications. The impact of nanotechnology on our way of life is widely believed to reach profound and hitherto unimagined levels in the coming decades. Proposed changes include clean abundant energy, pollution-free and inexpensive production of superior defect-free materials, complete environmental restoration and cleanup, safe and affordable space travel and colonization, and quantum leaps in medicine leading to perfect health and immortality. As a result of these advances, we anticipate the obsolescence of nearly all of today's industrial and economic processes by the first half of the new century, leading to global and radical changes in life style, finance, law, and politics."
~Behfar Bastani and Dennis Fernandez
From Intellectual Property Rights for Nanotechnology
Starting around 2010, workers will cultivate expertise with systems of nanostructures, directing large numbers of intricate components to specified ends. One application could involve the guided self-assembly of nanoelectronic components into three-dimensional circuits and whole devices. Medicine could employ such systems to improve the tissue compatibility of implants, or to create scaffolds for tissue regeneration, or perhaps even to build artificial organs."
~Mihail C. Roco, Senior adviser for nanotechnology to the National Science Foundation and a key architect of the National Nanotechnology Initiative
"Over the next ten years, the fields of chemistry, physics, material sciences, biology, and computational sciences will converge in a way that will define nanotechnology and impact almost every industry, including computers, semiconductors, pharmaceuticals, defense, health care, communications, transportation, energy, environmental sciences, entertainment, chemicals, and manufacturing. Previously distinct disciplines will also combine: medicine and engineering, law and science, art and physics, etc. This merging will result in developments that are not simply evolutionary; they will be revolutionary."
~Jack Uldrich & Deb Newberry
Read this collection in full, here:
www.access-nanotechnology.com/quotes.htm
Visit Nanotechnology Now (nanotech-now.com) to read new quotes each week (left column, home page)
Monday, April 2, 2007
The Weekly Roundup
Here are some of the news bits and press releases that caught my eye last week.
One of the most exciting new developments in pesticides is the prospect of nanopesticides. Nanotechnology is expected to be used to develop pesticides with new or enhanced activity, or more targeted application (such as through microencapsulation or affinity for specific target pests). Some consumer products are already being marketed as using silver nanoparticles with antimicrobial activity. EPA's Office of Pesticide Programs has already formed a Nanotechnology Work Group to develop a regulatory framework for nanopesticides.
(RR: hopefully this means using less pesticide per application, and that those that are used will do the job with fewer nasty side effects. It definitely means that the EPA is getting a jump on regulating the use of this group of nanoscale materials.)
From: Nanotechnology and the regulatory framework for nanopesticides
http://www.nanotech-now.com/news.cgi?story_id=21595
The European Nanobiocom project is working on the regeneration and repair of bone tissue. Seven other bodies, leaders in innovation within this specialism, are also taking part in the project. The goal is to come up with a substitute for bone tissue that can put the bone right and regenerate in such a way that it carries out similar functions as in its natural state.
(RR: good news for those suffering from degenerative bone diseases and injury.)
From: Nanotechnology creates intelligent materials to regenerate bone tissue
http://www.nanotech-now.com/news.cgi?story_id=21592
Japanese researchers have now developed a new material that very effectively removes VOCs as well as nitrogen- and sulfur oxides from air at room temperature. As they report in the journal Angewandte Chemie, their system involves a highly porous manganese oxide with gold nanoparticles grown into it.
To prove the effectiveness of their new catalyst, the research team headed by Anil K. Sinha at the Toyota Central R&D Labs carried out tests with acetaldehyde, toluene, and hexane. These three major components of organic air pollution play a role indoors as well as out. All three of these pollutants were very effectively removed from air and degraded by the catalyst—significantly better than with conventional catalyst systems.
(RR: let’s keep our collective fingers crossed, and hope that this technology pans out, resulting in consumer grade products that are cheap and effective.)
From: For clean air
http://www.nanotech-now.com/news.cgi?story_id=21590
The "Ellipsometria" laboratory in Japan (headed by Azerbaijani scientists) succeeded in controlling nano-structure with light. Nazim Mammadov told the APA that the whole world will be built on nanotechnology in ten years.
(RR: this technology looks promising, as it will allow for finer control of nanostructures. If they are able to scale it up, it may help advance the building of a nanofactory. See http://www.crnano.org/bootstrap.htm)
From: Azerbaijan scientist succeeds to control nano-structure with light (requires subscription to read full article)
http://www.nanotech-now.com/news.cgi?story_id=21587
Enhanced abilities to understand and manipulate matter at the molecular and atomic levels promise a wave of significant new technologies over the next five decades. This paper discusses the range of sciences currently covered by nanotechnology. It begins with a description of what nanotechnology is and how it relates to previous scientific advances. It then describes the most likely future development of different technologies in a variety of fields. The paper also reviews the government's current nanotechnology policy and makes some suggestions for improvement.
(RR: this is important because it lends further credibility to the increasingly popular theory that nanotechnologies will enable “Dramatic breakthroughs” and “will occur in diverse areas such as medicine, communications, computing, energy, and robotics.” It’s also nice to know that “These changes will generate large amounts of wealth” while at the same time recognizing that they will also “force wrenching changes in existing markets and institutions.” My friends, Mike Treder and Chris Phoenix of the Center for Responsible Nanotechnology (crnano.org), have been making those and other points for years; it’s good to see these memes spreading and gaining momentum.)
From: US Congress Says Nano is "Coming Sooner Than You Think," Predicts Singularity
http://www.nanotech-now.com/news.cgi?story_id=21585
A new nanotechnology for home laundry is going to enter Chinese market. Clothes can remain the feature of stain resistance up to one month after using this liquid product, which does not contain fluorine, so it can be used in home laundry, according to a new tech demonstration held in Beijing Friday.
(RR: sounds a lot like the products from Nanotex (nanotex.com). Actually, I included this one because it’s a good example of why you should consider a professional translation service. Note: caution about opening the link to the full article: I got quite a few pop-ups, which my blocker caught.)
From: New nanotech for home laundry exhibited in Beijing
http://www.nanotech-now.com/news.cgi?story_id=21579
Constrained by a small budget, the Nanotechnology Research Center (NTRC) of the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has nonetheless produced 70 peer-reviewed papers since 2004 in areas such as hazard identification and characterization, exposure assessment, risk assessment, and risk management.
(RR: this news should go a long way towards addressing the legitimate concerns regarding our understanding of nanoscale materials. By addressing potential risks now, we stand a greater chance of avoiding another asbestos debacle.)
From: Nanotechnology Respiratory Risks
http://safety.blr.com/display.cfm/id/103017
Andrei Sokolov of the University of Nebraska and Bernard Doudin of the University of Strasbourg have shown how an individual "bit" of data—a one or a zero of the binary code used by computers—might be stored on a single atom.
(RR: this one is filed under “Wow!”)
From: It may be possible to store a bit of data on a single atom and retrieve it
http://www.nanotech-now.com/news.cgi?story_id=21577
Families bored with their wallpaper could one day be able to change the pattern at the touch of a switch, according to scientists at Manchester University.
Aimin Song…believes changeable wallpaper and computer screens that roll up and go into your pocket are just two possible applications that may soon be available.
His work centers around “plastic electronics technology, which opens up the possibility for very flexible, hi-tech devices being developed.”
(RR: interesting development. Sounds like applications that all us techheads will appreciate. However, I think that our personal communications devices (pcd’s) will soon incorporate “electronic ticket for public transport systems or road charging schemes, and electronic stamps for letters.” On the other hand, the “roll-up information displays” will enable more compact, expandable pcd’s, that will also function as your GPS, ‘net interface, and health monitoring system. Increasingly, we are going to rely on one-device many-function portables. We will, perhaps also functionalize our garments for one-off items such as tickets to a movie or ID that allows access to subscription only entertainment or services.)
From: Switch wallpaper - with a switch
http://www.nanotech-now.com/news.cgi?story_id=21576
The judges, mostly from Maryland and Ohio, got a crash course in nanotechnology, synthetic biology and environmental biotechnology - all subjects they may have to tangle with in highly technical cases.
"Judges are empowered to do better, understand the issues better and guide the process better," said Rufus King III, Chief Judge of the Superior court of the District of Columbia. "Judges need to be gatekeepers to keep junk science out of the courtroom."
The program is part of the Advanced Science and Technology Adjudication Resource Center's mission to train more science-literate judges.
(RR: educating the decision-makers is one of the very most important steps towards insuring that nanoscale technologies will be prepared for in advance. Educating other stakeholders—you and I and everyone else—is one of the other most important steps. The very fact of the existence of the AS&TARC is encouraging as well.)
From: Judges learn about science behind courtroom cases
http://www.nanotech-now.com/news.cgi?story_id=21568
The US-based Wilson Center has applauded the UK government's Council for Science and Technology (CST) over its criticism on the slow progress being made for focused research into the hazards associated with nanotechnology.
(RR: this is another example of preparing for nanoscale technologies in advance (in this case, perhaps not, it is yet to be seen. However, I believe it to be overall encouraging. The Wilson Center has proven to be taking a scientific approach towards the need to prepare for nanotechnologies, and is therefore a credible source regarding all things in this area. I applaud their efforts to convince governments to spend more on research as well. Given the current US spending ratio of $1bn to $11m—development to risk research—and couple with the largely accepted belief that nanotech will be a $1Trillion (or more) business by mid-century next, you have to believe that spending more on research, now, is likely to help us avoid potential downsides later. We don’t need another “asbestos.” Enough said.)
From: Wilson Center applauds UK's stance on nanotechnology
http://www.nanotech-now.com/news.cgi?story_id=21560
Green technology is no longer on the virtuous fringes of the economy. It's big business, and moguls are seeing the potential for big profits. From radical pollution-free fuel cells to smog-eating nanocoatings, nanotechnology is making some startling advances on the green frontier.
… private corporations have also been investing heavily in nanotech research. Of the 30 companies that make up the Dow Jones Industrial Average, 19 have nanotechnology initiatives underway. Some 1,200 nanotech start-up companies have been launched worldwide. And in 2006, corporations are expected to spend more than $10 billion on nanotech R&D.
(RR: it is encouraging to note additional investment in green technologies. It is somewhat disappointing to realize that we’re only starting to see this increase in spending because oil is getting more expensive and the climate does indeed seem to be heating.)
From: Green is Gold
http://www.nanotech-now.com/news.cgi?story_id=21548
Controlling the growth of carbon nanotubes over large surface areas is essential for making transistors with sufficient current outputs and consistent properties for use in electronic circuits. In a significant advance toward such 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 nanotubes' properties do not change even if they are transferred to plastics or other substrates. "[The] tubes are physically lifted off quartz and then printed down on target substrate so that it doesn't disturb the position and orientation of the nanotubes," Rogers says. Because of this transfer process, he says that the arrays could be integrated with silicon fabrication to make circuits with interconnected nanotube and silicon devices--the nanotube devices could handle the circuit's high-speed operations. "You don't even think about them as tubes," says Roger. "In effect, it's a thin-film uniform substrate, and you just do your processing."
Right now, the distance between adjacent tubes is 100 nanometers, but theoretically, this separation could go down to only one nanometer without affecting electrical properties.
(RR: one of several recent—and important—advances in our understanding of nanotubes. Do a search on this blog on nanotubes to learn more. Should this pan out it may well enable huge leaps smaller in transistor technology and other nanotube-based electronics, which could lead to ever smaller consumer applications, such as pcd’s that fit on your wrist or are incorporated into your garments.)
From: A Breakthrough in Nanotube Transistors
http://www.nanotech-now.com/news.cgi?story_id=21541
Venture capital cash is fueling new companies and jobs developing alternative energies like nanotech solar cells and biofuels generated by enzymes and termites. Venture capital for energy and environmental technology in several regions of the world in 2006 nearly doubled from a year earlier to $1.28 billion.
(RR: this is another encouraging example of growth in the nascent clean technologies industry. Research done at our universities has traditionally played a large part in the development of new technologies; nanotechnologies and clean technologies will be no exception.)
From: More U.S. college students studying clean energy
http://www.nanotech-now.com/news.cgi?story_id=21533
Crumpled kitchen foil that lays flat for reuse. Bent bumpers that straighten overnight. Dents in car doors that disappear when heated with a hairdryer. These and other physical feats may become possible with a technique to make memory metals discovered by researchers at the University of Illinois.
(RR: this falls into the “it will be nice when it happens” buckets.)
From: Technique creates metal memory and could lead to vanishing dents
http://www.nanotech-now.com/news.cgi?story_id=21563
Raymor Nanotech will begin to offer in the second quarter of 2007 various high purity grades of single-walled carbon nanotubes (C-SWNT) for emerging markets. To achieve this, Raymor Nanotech launched its Purification department in 2006. This department was formed to develop various grades of C-SWNT to rapidly penetrate new markets for applications such as polymer nanocomposite enhancement, batteries/electrodes, supercapacitors, filters, electromagnetic interference shielding, catalyst support, field emission devices, sensors/probes, biomedical devices and nanoelectronic devices.
(RR: Raymor is one of over a dozen companies vying for the title of “largest producer” of nanotubes. Their sorted and purified nanotubes—if priced right—will probably go a long way towards satisfying hundreds of application needs, leading to many bleeding-edge consumer products.)
From: Raymor will Offer Various High Purity Grades of Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes for Emerging Markets in the Second Quarter of 2007
http://www.nanotech-now.com/news.cgi?story_id=21558
Alan Garen, professor of molecular biophysics and biochemistry at Yale has received a $100,000 award from the Prostate Cancer Foundation to expand research on the delivery of a targeted therapy for prostate cancer using nanoparticles. The technology uses a synthetic gene encoding an antibody-like molecule that activates an immune response to destroy the tumor blood vessels and associated tumors.
(RR: “Prostate cancer strikes one in six men.” Enough said.)
From: Nanoparticles for delivery of prostate cancer treatment
http://www.nanotech-now.com/news.cgi?story_id=21501
For custom reports on nanotech and cleantech news and developments, please contact me at rocky at access-nanotechnology.com
Contact me at the same address to discuss a complimentary evaluation of your project needs. Or visit http://access-nanotechnology.com/
One of the most exciting new developments in pesticides is the prospect of nanopesticides. Nanotechnology is expected to be used to develop pesticides with new or enhanced activity, or more targeted application (such as through microencapsulation or affinity for specific target pests). Some consumer products are already being marketed as using silver nanoparticles with antimicrobial activity. EPA's Office of Pesticide Programs has already formed a Nanotechnology Work Group to develop a regulatory framework for nanopesticides.
(RR: hopefully this means using less pesticide per application, and that those that are used will do the job with fewer nasty side effects. It definitely means that the EPA is getting a jump on regulating the use of this group of nanoscale materials.)
From: Nanotechnology and the regulatory framework for nanopesticides
http://www.nanotech-now.com/news.cgi?story_id=21595
The European Nanobiocom project is working on the regeneration and repair of bone tissue. Seven other bodies, leaders in innovation within this specialism, are also taking part in the project. The goal is to come up with a substitute for bone tissue that can put the bone right and regenerate in such a way that it carries out similar functions as in its natural state.
(RR: good news for those suffering from degenerative bone diseases and injury.)
From: Nanotechnology creates intelligent materials to regenerate bone tissue
http://www.nanotech-now.com/news.cgi?story_id=21592
Japanese researchers have now developed a new material that very effectively removes VOCs as well as nitrogen- and sulfur oxides from air at room temperature. As they report in the journal Angewandte Chemie, their system involves a highly porous manganese oxide with gold nanoparticles grown into it.
To prove the effectiveness of their new catalyst, the research team headed by Anil K. Sinha at the Toyota Central R&D Labs carried out tests with acetaldehyde, toluene, and hexane. These three major components of organic air pollution play a role indoors as well as out. All three of these pollutants were very effectively removed from air and degraded by the catalyst—significantly better than with conventional catalyst systems.
(RR: let’s keep our collective fingers crossed, and hope that this technology pans out, resulting in consumer grade products that are cheap and effective.)
From: For clean air
http://www.nanotech-now.com/news.cgi?story_id=21590
The "Ellipsometria" laboratory in Japan (headed by Azerbaijani scientists) succeeded in controlling nano-structure with light. Nazim Mammadov told the APA that the whole world will be built on nanotechnology in ten years.
(RR: this technology looks promising, as it will allow for finer control of nanostructures. If they are able to scale it up, it may help advance the building of a nanofactory. See http://www.crnano.org/bootstrap.htm)
From: Azerbaijan scientist succeeds to control nano-structure with light (requires subscription to read full article)
http://www.nanotech-now.com/news.cgi?story_id=21587
Enhanced abilities to understand and manipulate matter at the molecular and atomic levels promise a wave of significant new technologies over the next five decades. This paper discusses the range of sciences currently covered by nanotechnology. It begins with a description of what nanotechnology is and how it relates to previous scientific advances. It then describes the most likely future development of different technologies in a variety of fields. The paper also reviews the government's current nanotechnology policy and makes some suggestions for improvement.
(RR: this is important because it lends further credibility to the increasingly popular theory that nanotechnologies will enable “Dramatic breakthroughs” and “will occur in diverse areas such as medicine, communications, computing, energy, and robotics.” It’s also nice to know that “These changes will generate large amounts of wealth” while at the same time recognizing that they will also “force wrenching changes in existing markets and institutions.” My friends, Mike Treder and Chris Phoenix of the Center for Responsible Nanotechnology (crnano.org), have been making those and other points for years; it’s good to see these memes spreading and gaining momentum.)
From: US Congress Says Nano is "Coming Sooner Than You Think," Predicts Singularity
http://www.nanotech-now.com/news.cgi?story_id=21585
A new nanotechnology for home laundry is going to enter Chinese market. Clothes can remain the feature of stain resistance up to one month after using this liquid product, which does not contain fluorine, so it can be used in home laundry, according to a new tech demonstration held in Beijing Friday.
(RR: sounds a lot like the products from Nanotex (nanotex.com). Actually, I included this one because it’s a good example of why you should consider a professional translation service. Note: caution about opening the link to the full article: I got quite a few pop-ups, which my blocker caught.)
From: New nanotech for home laundry exhibited in Beijing
http://www.nanotech-now.com/news.cgi?story_id=21579
Constrained by a small budget, the Nanotechnology Research Center (NTRC) of the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has nonetheless produced 70 peer-reviewed papers since 2004 in areas such as hazard identification and characterization, exposure assessment, risk assessment, and risk management.
(RR: this news should go a long way towards addressing the legitimate concerns regarding our understanding of nanoscale materials. By addressing potential risks now, we stand a greater chance of avoiding another asbestos debacle.)
From: Nanotechnology Respiratory Risks
http://safety.blr.com/display.cfm/id/103017
Andrei Sokolov of the University of Nebraska and Bernard Doudin of the University of Strasbourg have shown how an individual "bit" of data—a one or a zero of the binary code used by computers—might be stored on a single atom.
(RR: this one is filed under “Wow!”)
From: It may be possible to store a bit of data on a single atom and retrieve it
http://www.nanotech-now.com/news.cgi?story_id=21577
Families bored with their wallpaper could one day be able to change the pattern at the touch of a switch, according to scientists at Manchester University.
Aimin Song…believes changeable wallpaper and computer screens that roll up and go into your pocket are just two possible applications that may soon be available.
His work centers around “plastic electronics technology, which opens up the possibility for very flexible, hi-tech devices being developed.”
(RR: interesting development. Sounds like applications that all us techheads will appreciate. However, I think that our personal communications devices (pcd’s) will soon incorporate “electronic ticket for public transport systems or road charging schemes, and electronic stamps for letters.” On the other hand, the “roll-up information displays” will enable more compact, expandable pcd’s, that will also function as your GPS, ‘net interface, and health monitoring system. Increasingly, we are going to rely on one-device many-function portables. We will, perhaps also functionalize our garments for one-off items such as tickets to a movie or ID that allows access to subscription only entertainment or services.)
From: Switch wallpaper - with a switch
http://www.nanotech-now.com/news.cgi?story_id=21576
The judges, mostly from Maryland and Ohio, got a crash course in nanotechnology, synthetic biology and environmental biotechnology - all subjects they may have to tangle with in highly technical cases.
"Judges are empowered to do better, understand the issues better and guide the process better," said Rufus King III, Chief Judge of the Superior court of the District of Columbia. "Judges need to be gatekeepers to keep junk science out of the courtroom."
The program is part of the Advanced Science and Technology Adjudication Resource Center's mission to train more science-literate judges.
(RR: educating the decision-makers is one of the very most important steps towards insuring that nanoscale technologies will be prepared for in advance. Educating other stakeholders—you and I and everyone else—is one of the other most important steps. The very fact of the existence of the AS&TARC is encouraging as well.)
From: Judges learn about science behind courtroom cases
http://www.nanotech-now.com/news.cgi?story_id=21568
The US-based Wilson Center has applauded the UK government's Council for Science and Technology (CST) over its criticism on the slow progress being made for focused research into the hazards associated with nanotechnology.
(RR: this is another example of preparing for nanoscale technologies in advance (in this case, perhaps not, it is yet to be seen. However, I believe it to be overall encouraging. The Wilson Center has proven to be taking a scientific approach towards the need to prepare for nanotechnologies, and is therefore a credible source regarding all things in this area. I applaud their efforts to convince governments to spend more on research as well. Given the current US spending ratio of $1bn to $11m—development to risk research—and couple with the largely accepted belief that nanotech will be a $1Trillion (or more) business by mid-century next, you have to believe that spending more on research, now, is likely to help us avoid potential downsides later. We don’t need another “asbestos.” Enough said.)
From: Wilson Center applauds UK's stance on nanotechnology
http://www.nanotech-now.com/news.cgi?story_id=21560
Green technology is no longer on the virtuous fringes of the economy. It's big business, and moguls are seeing the potential for big profits. From radical pollution-free fuel cells to smog-eating nanocoatings, nanotechnology is making some startling advances on the green frontier.
… private corporations have also been investing heavily in nanotech research. Of the 30 companies that make up the Dow Jones Industrial Average, 19 have nanotechnology initiatives underway. Some 1,200 nanotech start-up companies have been launched worldwide. And in 2006, corporations are expected to spend more than $10 billion on nanotech R&D.
(RR: it is encouraging to note additional investment in green technologies. It is somewhat disappointing to realize that we’re only starting to see this increase in spending because oil is getting more expensive and the climate does indeed seem to be heating.)
From: Green is Gold
http://www.nanotech-now.com/news.cgi?story_id=21548
Controlling the growth of carbon nanotubes over large surface areas is essential for making transistors with sufficient current outputs and consistent properties for use in electronic circuits. In a significant advance toward such 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 nanotubes' properties do not change even if they are transferred to plastics or other substrates. "[The] tubes are physically lifted off quartz and then printed down on target substrate so that it doesn't disturb the position and orientation of the nanotubes," Rogers says. Because of this transfer process, he says that the arrays could be integrated with silicon fabrication to make circuits with interconnected nanotube and silicon devices--the nanotube devices could handle the circuit's high-speed operations. "You don't even think about them as tubes," says Roger. "In effect, it's a thin-film uniform substrate, and you just do your processing."
Right now, the distance between adjacent tubes is 100 nanometers, but theoretically, this separation could go down to only one nanometer without affecting electrical properties.
(RR: one of several recent—and important—advances in our understanding of nanotubes. Do a search on this blog on nanotubes to learn more. Should this pan out it may well enable huge leaps smaller in transistor technology and other nanotube-based electronics, which could lead to ever smaller consumer applications, such as pcd’s that fit on your wrist or are incorporated into your garments.)
From: A Breakthrough in Nanotube Transistors
http://www.nanotech-now.com/news.cgi?story_id=21541
Venture capital cash is fueling new companies and jobs developing alternative energies like nanotech solar cells and biofuels generated by enzymes and termites. Venture capital for energy and environmental technology in several regions of the world in 2006 nearly doubled from a year earlier to $1.28 billion.
(RR: this is another encouraging example of growth in the nascent clean technologies industry. Research done at our universities has traditionally played a large part in the development of new technologies; nanotechnologies and clean technologies will be no exception.)
From: More U.S. college students studying clean energy
http://www.nanotech-now.com/news.cgi?story_id=21533
Crumpled kitchen foil that lays flat for reuse. Bent bumpers that straighten overnight. Dents in car doors that disappear when heated with a hairdryer. These and other physical feats may become possible with a technique to make memory metals discovered by researchers at the University of Illinois.
(RR: this falls into the “it will be nice when it happens” buckets.)
From: Technique creates metal memory and could lead to vanishing dents
http://www.nanotech-now.com/news.cgi?story_id=21563
Raymor Nanotech will begin to offer in the second quarter of 2007 various high purity grades of single-walled carbon nanotubes (C-SWNT) for emerging markets. To achieve this, Raymor Nanotech launched its Purification department in 2006. This department was formed to develop various grades of C-SWNT to rapidly penetrate new markets for applications such as polymer nanocomposite enhancement, batteries/electrodes, supercapacitors, filters, electromagnetic interference shielding, catalyst support, field emission devices, sensors/probes, biomedical devices and nanoelectronic devices.
(RR: Raymor is one of over a dozen companies vying for the title of “largest producer” of nanotubes. Their sorted and purified nanotubes—if priced right—will probably go a long way towards satisfying hundreds of application needs, leading to many bleeding-edge consumer products.)
From: Raymor will Offer Various High Purity Grades of Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes for Emerging Markets in the Second Quarter of 2007
http://www.nanotech-now.com/news.cgi?story_id=21558
Alan Garen, professor of molecular biophysics and biochemistry at Yale has received a $100,000 award from the Prostate Cancer Foundation to expand research on the delivery of a targeted therapy for prostate cancer using nanoparticles. The technology uses a synthetic gene encoding an antibody-like molecule that activates an immune response to destroy the tumor blood vessels and associated tumors.
(RR: “Prostate cancer strikes one in six men.” Enough said.)
From: Nanoparticles for delivery of prostate cancer treatment
http://www.nanotech-now.com/news.cgi?story_id=21501
For custom reports on nanotech and cleantech news and developments, please contact me at rocky at access-nanotechnology.com
Contact me at the same address to discuss a complimentary evaluation of your project needs. Or visit http://access-nanotechnology.com/
Thursday, March 29, 2007
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
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
Friday, March 23, 2007
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
Friday, March 2, 2007
FutureCar, Pt IV
Another series of made for TV programs from the Discovery Channel, FutureCar examines today’s technologies and designs and how they might lead to tomorrow’s vehicles.
The 4th of 4 programs is titled "The Brian." This program speculated that in the year 2030 we will see:
- A worldwide network (a vehicle web, or "automatrix")
- Highways without speed limits
- No drivers
- No accidents
- No traffic jams
All the above based on the fact that as digital power increases, so does safety. Their speculation is based on an interconnection of computers, roadways, people and cars, as well as on advances in computing power and ubiquitous sensing.
And featured these future vehicles:
- Rinspeed Senso (http://www.rinspeed.com/pages/cars/senso/pre-senso.htm)
- GM Intern Design Program: Cocoon and Nanny Car
- MIT Media Lab "stackable" cars
As was the case with the previous three programs, car enthusiasts will love this show, as will those that study the future.
Nanotechnology is explicitly mentioned this time in regards to sensors; they use Moore’s Law to illustrate that by 2030 computers will have more than 3,000 times the processing power as today’s computers. I found a quote by Michio Kaku interesting "the application of nanotechnology, artificial intelligence and micro-sensor technology will shake everything up concerning our car." As with the previous programs, nanotechnologies are implicitly a factor in such things as self-healing paint and color-changing body colors.
Bottom line: the whole series is worth the watch.
To learn more, visit discovery.com/futurecar
Thursday, March 1, 2007
The inexorable march down
One area that “nano” shows up in and is mostly not recognized for is the computer chip industry. The “chip” industry has been working within the nanoscale for years, and is now testing graphene-based transistors that are one atom thick and less than fifty atoms wide (1).
At $200-billion per year (and growing), the chip industry is a major player in terms of employment and revenues, and is a driving force for dozens of other industries and technologies, which is why this is another area that I will cover on a regular basis.
Below you will find a summary of the latest news, covering the period from December 29, 2006, to January 12, 2007.
IBM is testing a new technology that uses “engineered chains of carbon monoxide molecules on a surface of copper.” This technology, while still years away from meaningful products, is one step closer to computing on the scale of individual atoms.
Researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic are working with hybrid structures consisting of carbon nanotubes and metal nanowires. Resultant technologies could impact many areas within the electronics industry, such as using nanotubes as interconnects in chips.
Foundry United Microelectronics announced plans to open a new 300mm wafer plant in 2008, costing about $5 billion.
DuPont Air Products Nanomaterials is suing Cabot Microelectronics Corp. The issue: “the process used in the manufacture and sale of the slurry polishing compound and pad products needed in chemical mechanical planarization (CMP).”
“A team of researchers from ETH Zurich in Switzerland and Zhejiang University in PR China have demonstrated nanorobotic spot welding using single-crystalline copper-filled CNTs inside a transmission electron microscope (TEM).” (http://www.nanowerk.com/spotlight/spotid=1192.php)
With the end of Moore's Law looming as a possibility, the search for something to replace today's workhorse CMOS-based silicon is intensifying, researchers told the AVS International Symposium & Exhibition in San Francisco last November. (RR: good background information on Moore’s Law and some of the technologies that may extend it) (http://www.eetasia.com/ARTP_8800447621_480200.HTM)
Josh Wolfe (Forbes/Wolfe Nanotech Report) picked IBM’s nanotube electrical circuit research as one of five nanotech breakthroughs of 2006. “The integrated logic circuit consists of 12 transistors made of palladium and aluminum tracing the length of a single carbon nanotube. The circuit is hundreds of times slower than today's silicon processors, but it is 100,000 times faster than any previous carbon nanotube device and has the potential to be much faster.” (http://www.forbes.com/home/personalfinance/2006/12/26/nanotech-breakthroughs-ibm-pf-guru-in_jw_1227soapbox_inl.html)
(1) http://www.rsc.org/chemistryworld/News/2007/February/28020703.asp
Please contact me at rocky at bir-consulting.com for detailed reports on this or any other "nanotech" area, including advanced materials, nanomedicine, energy, cleantech, etc.
At $200-billion per year (and growing), the chip industry is a major player in terms of employment and revenues, and is a driving force for dozens of other industries and technologies, which is why this is another area that I will cover on a regular basis.
Below you will find a summary of the latest news, covering the period from December 29, 2006, to January 12, 2007.
IBM is testing a new technology that uses “engineered chains of carbon monoxide molecules on a surface of copper.” This technology, while still years away from meaningful products, is one step closer to computing on the scale of individual atoms.
Researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic are working with hybrid structures consisting of carbon nanotubes and metal nanowires. Resultant technologies could impact many areas within the electronics industry, such as using nanotubes as interconnects in chips.
Foundry United Microelectronics announced plans to open a new 300mm wafer plant in 2008, costing about $5 billion.
DuPont Air Products Nanomaterials is suing Cabot Microelectronics Corp. The issue: “the process used in the manufacture and sale of the slurry polishing compound and pad products needed in chemical mechanical planarization (CMP).”
“A team of researchers from ETH Zurich in Switzerland and Zhejiang University in PR China have demonstrated nanorobotic spot welding using single-crystalline copper-filled CNTs inside a transmission electron microscope (TEM).” (http://www.nanowerk.com/spotlight/spotid=1192.php)
With the end of Moore's Law looming as a possibility, the search for something to replace today's workhorse CMOS-based silicon is intensifying, researchers told the AVS International Symposium & Exhibition in San Francisco last November. (RR: good background information on Moore’s Law and some of the technologies that may extend it) (http://www.eetasia.com/ARTP_8800447621_480200.HTM)
Josh Wolfe (Forbes/Wolfe Nanotech Report) picked IBM’s nanotube electrical circuit research as one of five nanotech breakthroughs of 2006. “The integrated logic circuit consists of 12 transistors made of palladium and aluminum tracing the length of a single carbon nanotube. The circuit is hundreds of times slower than today's silicon processors, but it is 100,000 times faster than any previous carbon nanotube device and has the potential to be much faster.” (http://www.forbes.com/home/personalfinance/2006/12/26/nanotech-breakthroughs-ibm-pf-guru-in_jw_1227soapbox_inl.html)
(1) http://www.rsc.org/chemistryworld/News/2007/February/28020703.asp
Please contact me at rocky at bir-consulting.com for detailed reports on this or any other "nanotech" area, including advanced materials, nanomedicine, energy, cleantech, etc.
Thursday, February 8, 2007
A Transparent Society, Maybe
“The new Smart Nanobattery architecture promises an energy source that can be packaged in various configurations, with shelf life lasting decades, yet still able to be activated almost instantaneously on demand. Various battery designs based on this technology may deliver a new and unique component for system design across many fields, including defense, industrial and consumer electronics.” link
“…'next generation' computer chips which will see processors with mind-boggling memories the size of a grain of sand.”
“The new technology will have military uses with tiny spy planes the size of flies able to collect and send back information over hundreds of miles.” link
OK, those were some semi-random headlines gleaned from recent nanotech news. Semi-random since I was looking for technologies that will enable ubiquitous surveillance, but picked from amongst dozens of others that fit the “nano” mold. And keep in mind that there have been literally hundreds of similar improvements in various supporting technologies in the past few years. It seems probable that improvements along these lines will continue, and the rate at which these advances become part of “today’s technologies” will continue to increase.
So, we’ve got technologies that reduce the size of sensors, technologies that reduce the size of sensor batteries, and technologies that reduce the size and increase the capacity of memory modules. What does it all mean? It means that sometime in the not-to-distant future, perhaps 5 to 10 years from now, we will have the ability to construct cheap (nearly free) sensors that will be difficult if not impossible for the human eye to detect. These sensors will have the ability to detect everything from conversations to chemicals, and send their findings hundreds, if not thousands of miles (using satellite uplinks) to whoever is monitoring them.
What do we do about it? I don’t know. What I do know is that this “possible future” will be an issue, and probably one of the most socially disruptive of all the near term “nanotechnologies.” (A better term is “nanotechnology-enabled technology”)
In closing, I’d like to refer back to a note I made earlier about David Brin’s compelling argument in The Transparent Society: Will Technology Force Us to Choose Between Privacy and Freedom? Brin argues for a more open society; “one in which those in power would be required to adhere to the same "openness" standards as their constituents, where the authorities are monitored as well as monitoring.” Maybe this is the answer; I don’t know, but it is a place to start the debate; a debate that needs to begin soon, and needs to include all stakeholders.
“…'next generation' computer chips which will see processors with mind-boggling memories the size of a grain of sand.”
“The new technology will have military uses with tiny spy planes the size of flies able to collect and send back information over hundreds of miles.” link
OK, those were some semi-random headlines gleaned from recent nanotech news. Semi-random since I was looking for technologies that will enable ubiquitous surveillance, but picked from amongst dozens of others that fit the “nano” mold. And keep in mind that there have been literally hundreds of similar improvements in various supporting technologies in the past few years. It seems probable that improvements along these lines will continue, and the rate at which these advances become part of “today’s technologies” will continue to increase.
So, we’ve got technologies that reduce the size of sensors, technologies that reduce the size of sensor batteries, and technologies that reduce the size and increase the capacity of memory modules. What does it all mean? It means that sometime in the not-to-distant future, perhaps 5 to 10 years from now, we will have the ability to construct cheap (nearly free) sensors that will be difficult if not impossible for the human eye to detect. These sensors will have the ability to detect everything from conversations to chemicals, and send their findings hundreds, if not thousands of miles (using satellite uplinks) to whoever is monitoring them.
What do we do about it? I don’t know. What I do know is that this “possible future” will be an issue, and probably one of the most socially disruptive of all the near term “nanotechnologies.” (A better term is “nanotechnology-enabled technology”)
In closing, I’d like to refer back to a note I made earlier about David Brin’s compelling argument in The Transparent Society: Will Technology Force Us to Choose Between Privacy and Freedom? Brin argues for a more open society; “one in which those in power would be required to adhere to the same "openness" standards as their constituents, where the authorities are monitored as well as monitoring.” Maybe this is the answer; I don’t know, but it is a place to start the debate; a debate that needs to begin soon, and needs to include all stakeholders.
Friday, January 5, 2007
Smaller can be better
I’m stepping outside my guideline again today by bringing you more news. In this case, news about a 1 TB (1 terabyte = 1 trillion bytes or 1 thousand gigabytes) harddrive that will soon be available from Hitachi (1). Incidentally, they’re saying it will initially come in at a price lower than it’s predecessor, the 750 MB HD.
Why does this matter? It matters because there is a direct link between our ability to work with ever decreasing size regimes and our understanding of the nanoscale. If you have kept up with the science underlying nanotechnology you already know that a huge potential for new and improved products exists because at the nanoscale, materials often exhibit properties that are different than their larger versions. Think about all the wonderful advances we generally take for granted due to the relatively scant number of elements in the periodic table; now imagine an exponential increase in the number of properties we are able to incorporate into products.
It also matters because it is another step in what Ray Kurzweil calls “The Law of Accelerating Returns.” (2) Kurzweil states it thus “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.”
Coupled with the increase in processing power, also part of Kurzweil’s Law, and married to increasingly capable software, expect to see our understanding of the nanoscale increase, and as a corollary, an increase in computing power, which will lead to better materials and medical technologies…and on and on. A tidy little iterative interaction with massive potential.
(1) http://www.tgdaily.com/2007/01/05/hitachi_deskstar_1tb/
(2) http://www.kurzweilai.net/articles/art0134.html?printable=1
Why does this matter? It matters because there is a direct link between our ability to work with ever decreasing size regimes and our understanding of the nanoscale. If you have kept up with the science underlying nanotechnology you already know that a huge potential for new and improved products exists because at the nanoscale, materials often exhibit properties that are different than their larger versions. Think about all the wonderful advances we generally take for granted due to the relatively scant number of elements in the periodic table; now imagine an exponential increase in the number of properties we are able to incorporate into products.
It also matters because it is another step in what Ray Kurzweil calls “The Law of Accelerating Returns.” (2) Kurzweil states it thus “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.”
Coupled with the increase in processing power, also part of Kurzweil’s Law, and married to increasingly capable software, expect to see our understanding of the nanoscale increase, and as a corollary, an increase in computing power, which will lead to better materials and medical technologies…and on and on. A tidy little iterative interaction with massive potential.
(1) http://www.tgdaily.com/2007/01/05/hitachi_deskstar_1tb/
(2) http://www.kurzweilai.net/articles/art0134.html?printable=1
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