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Nanotechnology
- Thread starter ChunkyC
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That is neat! I was just reading about quantum dots, and this reminded me of it. Thanks for the link.
This guy "wrote the book" on nanotechnology. It's a couple decades old, but if you're interested, this book (click on the cover to read, or get a print copy most anywhere) is the starting point, and what I've read since is only incremental progress toward the goal (I'm hoping this isn't another Fusion Power thing that's "only ten years away" for the next 50 years):
http://www.e-drexler.com/d/06/00/EOC/EOC_Cover.html
http://www.e-drexler.com/d/06/00/EOC/EOC_Cover.html
Very cool. I will try to find those books. I remember a boy in high school used to go on and on about nontechnology and at the time I was not interested. I was too preoccupied with whoever I was dating at the time. I'm so shallow, *sigh*.
I started this morning obsessing on sound waves (I wanted to know more about accoustics and the bit about black holes humming was really interesting) which progressed into light and then I ended up wondering about whether quantum dots could be used as really efficient solar panels for the outsides of spaceships...the mind is wandering all over today. Now if I could stick with a topic long enough to absorb more of it maybe I'd learn something.
I started this morning obsessing on sound waves (I wanted to know more about accoustics and the bit about black holes humming was really interesting) which progressed into light and then I ended up wondering about whether quantum dots could be used as really efficient solar panels for the outsides of spaceships...the mind is wandering all over today. Now if I could stick with a topic long enough to absorb more of it maybe I'd learn something.
I read this article today -
http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?articleID=C8DE2C5F-E7F2-99DF-35A56451AD0DD931&chanID=sa003
and this one -
http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?articleID=849171DA-E7F2-99DF-3B85FCD830D501C3&modsrc=related_links
I hope the links work. The article about translating vibrations into electricity got me interested because I've been obsessing on sound waves recently. I'm so obsessed that I keep mentioning I'm obsessing.
http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?articleID=C8DE2C5F-E7F2-99DF-35A56451AD0DD931&chanID=sa003
and this one -
http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?articleID=849171DA-E7F2-99DF-3B85FCD830D501C3&modsrc=related_links
I hope the links work. The article about translating vibrations into electricity got me interested because I've been obsessing on sound waves recently. I'm so obsessed that I keep mentioning I'm obsessing.
Piezoelectric devices are very cool. That there is the possibility (probability, even?) of nanomachines that generate their own power (perhaps in presence of a certain frequency of ultrasound) is very cool.
The biodetector is very cool, too. Look out, Doctor House! A machine will soon replace you.
Thanks for the links, laurel
The biodetector is very cool, too. Look out, Doctor House! A machine will soon replace you.
Thanks for the links, laurel
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Just in the interest of history and resources, here's an AFRL link (PDF) to a transcript from a guy that may have taken the first real look at nanotech. Here's the link's first introductory paragraph:
If you haven't read "There's Plenty of Room at the Bottom" – you should. Feynman was awesome.
I recall that, and of his two prizes. Someone made the small motor by "conventional" means such as making really tiny wires by rolling them in between sheets of glass, and other such techniques that didn't really push technology.
Feynman was absolutely a "Genius" (the James Gleick bio of that name is really long, but great reading), he certainly would have "written the book" on nanotechnology, even way back then, but he had too many other things to do, such as playing the bongos and pinpointing the source of the Space Shuttle Challenger explosion.
Here's more info on the two $1,000 prizes he offered at the end of that speech:
http://www.foresight.org/GrandPrize.1.html
Feynman was absolutely a "Genius" (the James Gleick bio of that name is really long, but great reading), he certainly would have "written the book" on nanotechnology, even way back then, but he had too many other things to do, such as playing the bongos and pinpointing the source of the Space Shuttle Challenger explosion.
Here's more info on the two $1,000 prizes he offered at the end of that speech:
http://www.foresight.org/GrandPrize.1.html
Thank you for the links. I think this is so interesting .
This was interesting as well-
http://www.physorg.com/news64239590.html
and this is an older article about graphene
http://physicsweb.org/articles/news/9/11/6
. This was interesting as well-
http://www.physorg.com/news64239590.html
and this is an older article about graphene
http://physicsweb.org/articles/news/9/11/6
Nanotechnology isn't going to "fail like fusion power," because it is not any one thing. If you're wearing stain resistant pants you're already using nanotechnology.
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That's not nanotechnology as I understand it (Drexler uses the term molecular nanotechnology to try to avoid this type of misinterpretation). Nanotechnology means controlling and moving atoms one at a time. Here are some early examples:
http://www.almaden.ibm.com/vis/stm/atomo.html
That's a public misperception then. Drexler first envisioned having structures built atom by atom, kind of like normal factories but with the parts being atoms. However, he corrected himself saying how unlikely - and unnecessary - that was. The more likely step is self assembly - exposing a mixture or solution to certain controlled forces so that they automatically form the shapes you want. Besides that's hardly the only sort of nanotech. Basically, any technology that exploits a unique effect you see only at the molecular level is considered nanotechnology. Quantum dots are definitely nanotech, so are applications of nanofluidics, such as lab-on-a-chip, molecular electronics, cancer targeting nanoparticles, etc.
I thought Quantum dots were really cool. If I can find some of the links I had about those I'll post them here later. If you created something complex using self assembling nanotechnology would that behave almost like an organism (versus an innanimate object) in terms of repairing itself? That question isn't really formulated properly, I'm just strapped for time right now and not phrasing things the way I should. (I'm also very sleepy.)