Foresight Update 25
Page 6
A publication of the Foresight Institute
 Web
Watch
ORNL Site Discusses
Laser-Driven Motor and Nanotechnology Piston Concepts
The research team of Dr. Don W. Noid, Dr. Bobby G. Sumpter and
Robert Tuzun at Oak Ridge National Laboratory have posted their
work on a Nanotechnology Laser-Driven Motor (by all three
researchers) and Nanotechnology Pistons (Noid and Sumpter) on the
Web at http://www.ccs.ornl.gov/GC/ornl/Nano96.html.
The site includes an illustration of the graphite nanoscale
motor, a 3.7 megabyte MPEG animation of the motor's performance,
and discussion of design concepts. The Nanotechnology Pistons
page includes several illustrations, including a closeup of a
buckeyball interrupting flow of helium atoms in a graphite
nanotube and several views of a simple nano-piston.
Engines
of Creation on the Web
 |
|
Russel Whitaker,
internal webmaster for Silicon Graphics, put Engines
of Creation on the Web.
Thanks to Russell Whitaker (aided by earlier work of John
Quel, John Cramer, and Jim Lewis), the full text of
Engines of Creation is now available on the Web at http://www.foresight.org/EOC/.
A special introduction to this version has
been provided by the author, Eric Drexler: |
The ten years since Engines of Creation was first
published have brought us far along the path to the development
of molecular nanotechnology and molecular manufacturing. Advances
have been faster than I had expected.
The basic concepts have also been more controversial than I had
expected. Even now, after (for example) the US Science Advisor
has called for the development of molecular manufacturing,
segments of the science establishment are still having
difficulties with some quite simple ideas.
It seems obvious that gaining thorough control of matter at the
molecular level will enable major technological advances, and our
progress toward this ability is likewise obvious. The molecular
machinery found in nature provides an existence proof for
enormous capabilities. Research advances in building such
machines are reported in journals every week. Perhaps the short
time horizons common in US and European science provide the
excuse for neglecting the consequences of what we already know to
be possible.
Engines of Creation projected the development of hypertext
publishing systems; now it is at last appearing on one. While the
Web lacks several important features, it nonetheless provides
many of the benefits described in Engines.
It's gratifying to see Engines made available in this new
medium. My thanks to Russell Whitaker for putting it into html,
and to John Quel, John Cramer, and Jim Lewis for scanning in the
text for an earlier HyperCard version.
There's not much I'd change in Engines if rewritten today
(that is, I'd fiddle all the details and make it worse, but
change little of the substance). The technological work keeps
evolving and expanding in scope and analytical detail, but the
basic concepts have survived critical examination, on the net and
elsewhere.
To keep in touch with developments in nanotechnology, contact
Foresight Institute or see Foresight's Web site [http://www.foresight.org] and the
Institute for Molecular Manufacturing site http://www.imm.org now under
development.
Eric Drexler, Research Fellow
Institute for Molecular Manufacturing
Palo Alto, California
April 1996
Recent
Events
NASA Ames Hosts Workshop on Computational Nanotechnology
The Numerical Aerodynamic
Simulation (NAS) Systems Division at NASA Ames Research Center
sponsored a two-day
workshop on computational molecular nanotechnology in March.
Participants included scientists and engineers from academia,
industry, and government. Technical presentations described
current state-of-the-art computer simulations and future
requirements for computational nanotechnology applications.
Discussion sessions explored possibilities for joint research
work in this area involving NASA scientists and facilities.
"The development of nanotechnology will require massive
amounts of computation and the most powerful computers available
will be required, including the teraflop/second and even
petaflop/second systems of the future," said event organizer
Al Globus
of MRJ at NASA. "Even today, simulations on high performance
computer systems can be used in conjunction with laboratory
demonstrations to point the way to the most promising paths of
nanotechnology development."
"Although massive computations will be required, they will
not be enough. Substantial algorithm, database, user interface,
and visualization work will be required to meet the challenges of
computational nanotechnology. Entirely new software concepts may
be required to realize the promise of molecular
nanotechnology."
Every field needs a key goal, Globus said. "Physics has the
unified field theory and computer graphics has had reproducing
the visual world we live in. What should computational
nanotechnology's goal be?" Globus asked participants in one
session. Suggested candidates included:
- Molecular manufacturing CAD
- Replicator/assembler or other nano-robot (the consensus
choice of participants)
- Predict and design self-assembly (and determine the free
energy)
- Principles of molecular design
- Accurate force fields for nanotechnology systems
- Accurate simulations of large systems and long time
scales (integrated nano, meso, macro scale simulations)
- Properties and performance at the nano-scale
- Nano-robots building computer circuits
- Medical applications
- Nano-spacecraft
- Terraforming using nanotechnology
It was also mentioned that safety is a major issue and should
be addressed early on.
Speakers (a partial list) included Ralph Merke of Xerox, speaking
on his concept of a simple assembler, Don Brenner of North
Carolina State University on Nanoscale Engineering, Donovan Chin
of Harvard University on "Computational and Physical-Organic
Approaches Towards Nanotechnology," William Goddard of
Caltech on "Molecular Dynamics Simulations in
Nanotechnology," Gustavo E. Scuseria of the Center for
Nanoscale Science and Technology and Chemistry Department at Rice
University on "Electronic Structures Tools for Computational
Nanotechnology" and Robert Tuzun of Oak Ridge National
Laboratory, on the work of Tuzun and his colleague on
"Molecular Dynamics Simulation of Nanomachine
Components."
A more complete report on the conference is available on the Web
at http://www.nas.nasa.gov/NAS/Projects/nanotechnology/workshop/
Two Texas Presentations on Molecular Nanotechnology
Roger Duncan made a presentation on molecular nanotechnology
to the Sustainable Energy Development Council (SEDC). The SEDC
was created by Texas Governor Ann Richards to write a plan for
the development of renewable energy and energy efficiency for
Texas. Nanotechnology was included in the group's final plan,
both as a goal and an objective.
Duncan also made a presentation to the Urban Consortium, a group
of representatives from the 50 largest cities in the U.S., formed
as a committee of Public Technology Inc. PTI has asked Duncan to
write a short article for their publication to gauge the level of
interest in the subject among municipal leaders. Duncan seeks
input from Foresight members on the impact of nanotechnology on
municipal planning being done within the next ten years.
European Nanotechnology Initiative Conference Followup
Update 24
reported plans for a European Nanotechnology Initiative (ENI)
Conference April 9-11 in Copenhagen. The event organizers,
BioSoft, report 45 participants attended, who concluded that
"if we fail to invest in the European research in
nanotechnology, we invite foreign dominance of this strategic
technology as previously experienced in the microtechnologies.
One crucial activity in the next few years will be to develop new
tools that permit observation and manipulation of nano sized
objects." A number of organizations in Europe are
"positioned to play a strong role in this field provided
that nanotechnology in general obtains the requested
support," the final report said.
Following the conference, organizers presented the group's
findings to the European Union Parliament on April 22. They
described the potentials of nanotechnology, sought funding, and
proposed the creation of Ph.D. or post-doctoral nanotechnology
programs. Organizers are now seeking to formalize the structure
of the group brought together for the conference, and to create a
Web site to facilitate exchange of information.
Table of Contents -
Foresight Update 25
Upcoming
Events
Workshop on Computational Nanotechnology, July 11-13,
Colorado Springs Marriott. Contact Dr. Sally Meyer, tel
719-389-6437, smeyer@cc.colorado.edu.
Fullerenes (C60 and related), July 21-26,
Gordon Research Conference, tel 401-783-4011, fax 401-783-7644,
email grc@grcmail.grc.uri.edu.
The Minnesota Molecular Nanotechnology Study Group will be
hosting Dr. Donald Noid from Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL)
on July 31, 1996, from 7-9 PM at the Science Museum of Minnesota.
Dr. Noid will describe the process of designing, implementing,
and simulating a large molecular dynamics problem. The solution
of one or more actual problems will be described from beginning
to end, including computer-generated videos of the simulation
results. Dr. Noid leads a group of researchers at ORNL making
significant contributions to MD, and to nanotechnology in
general. Contact: Steven C. Vetter, SVetter@MMEI.com, Molecular
Manufacturing Enterprises, Inc. 9653 Wellington Lane, Saint Paul,
MN 55125, http://www.mmei.com,
voice/fax: (612) 288-0093
4th International Conference on Nanometer-Scale Science and
Technology, Sept. 8-12, Beijing. Includes supramolecules,
molecular recognition, SPM fabrication of devices, self-assembly,
self-assembled molecular nanostructures. Contact Prof. Shijin
Pang, fax 86-10-255-6598, email Pang@image.blem.ac.cn.
Micro- and Nano- Engineering 96, Sept. 23-25, Glasgow,
Scotland. Contact Dr. Carol Clugston, fax 0141-330-4907, email c.clugston@elec.gla.ac.uk.
German Conference on Bioinformatics, Sept. 30-Oct. 2,
University of Leipzig. Includes molecular modeling, molecular
recognition, self-organization, DNA computing. Contact GCB '96,
tel 49-341-9716100, fax 49-341-9716109, email GCB96@imise.unileipzig.de.
Nanometer-Scale Science and Technology Division meeting,
American Vacuum Society, Oct. 14-18, Philadelphia. Includes
session NS7 on "Nanofabrication: Manipulation of Atoms and
Molecules." Contact AVS, tel 212-248-0200, fax 212-248-0245,
email angela@vacuum.org,
Web http://www.vacuum.org.
Senior Associate Gathering, Oct. 18-20, 1996, Palo Alto.
Foresight and IMM Senior Associates meeting covering technical,
entrepreneurial, applications, social topics related to
nanotechnology. Contact Foresight, tel 415-917-1122, fax
415-917-1123, email foresight@foresight.org.
Foresight 10th Anniversary Celebration, evening of Oct.
19, 1996, Palo Alto. Contact Foresight, tel 415-917-1122, fax
415-917-1123, email foresight@foresight.org.
Fifth Foresight Conference on Molecular Nanotechnology,
Nov. 5-9, 1997, Palo Alto, CA. Enabling science and technology,
computational models. Contact Foresight, tel 415-917-1122, fax
415-917-1123, email foresight@foresight.org,
Web http://foresight.org/Conferences/MNT05/Nano5.html.
From Foresight Update 25, originally
published 15 July 1996.
|