from the it's-not-a-nightmare-if-you're-awake dept.
Politech gives a pointer to the final report of an NSF conference on "Societal Implications of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, NSF". Politech's editor said "This is an important report, though the Viola Vogel comments are from someone who is in part a nanotechnology critic. For instance, Vogel calls simulating a human mind on a computer a "nightmarish scenario," though it seems to me to be an inevitable and unobjectionable step."

from the digest-and-discharge dept.
In a recent technical paper, Robert A. Freitas Jr., author of Nanomedicine and a research scientist at Zyvex, describes an artificial mechanical phagocyte called a microbivore — the nanorobotic equivalent of a major class of natural blood cells — the white cells. Major antimicrobial defenses include circulating white cells capable of phagocytosis (engulfing and digesting other cells).

In his paper, Freitas presents a theoretical nanorobot scaling study for artificial mechanical phagocytes of microscopic size, called "microbivores," whose primary function is to destroy microbiological pathogens found in the human bloodstream using a "digest and discharge protocol". Freitas concludes microbivores would be up to 1000 times faster-acting than either natural or antibiotic-assisted biological phagocytic defenses, and about 80 times more efficient as phagocytic agents than macrophages, the white blood cells that are the primary cell-digesting agents in humans. He also notes: "Besides intravenous bacterial scavenging, microbivores or related devices may also be used to help clear respiratory, urinary, or cerebrospinal bacterial infections; eliminate bacterial toxemias and biofilms; eradicate viral, fungal, and parasitic infections; disinfect surfaces, foodstuffs, or organic samples; and help clean up biohazards and toxic chemicals."

A brief summary of the paper was published by the Institute for Molecular Manufacturing in Foresight Update #44. For much, much more information on the potential medical applications of advanced nanotechnology, see the Nanomedicine pages on the Foresight website.

from the am-I-blue? dept.
Sharad Bailur calls attention to a number of news reports of plans announced by IBM to design computers that would adjust to changing workloads, recognize faults and repair themselves without human intervention. A longer-term goal includes a sort of digital immune system to fight off computer viruses and other attacks. Although these goals are not radically new, some reports do mention Ray Kurzweil and ask whether such systems would have a sort of limited self-awareness.
A report appeared in the New York Times ("I.B.M. Project Seeks to Reduce Need for Human Action", by B.J. Feder, 27 April 2001). According to the article, I.B.M.'s research arm had already singled out such autonomous computing technology as a major focus for its work.

from the nano-trade-press dept.
Stuart Scott brings our attention to smalltimes.com, a new web site "devoted entirely to the fast-growing industry that includes MEMS, microsystems and nanotechnologies."

The new site is produced by Small Times Media, a company "devoted entirely to the fast-growing industry that includes MEMS, microsystems and nanotechnologies. As these remarkable technologies move from laboratories to the marketplace, Small Times Media will offer full news coverage and industry-related trade events." The publishers say coverage on the site will include such areas as analysis of business developments; breaking news in life sciences, consumer goods, environmental, defense, telecommunications and transportation applications; a small tech stock index; and an industry calendar of events such as conferences and trade shows.

According to a notice on the web site, the firm will also launch Small Times Magazine in September 2001. The magazine will cover applications and technical breakthroughs, offer stories and profiles on industry leaders and pioneers, innovations and resources shared between academia, investors, government and industry. It will also spotlight key issues in the industryís development and market intelligence.

from the 21st-century-teach-in dept.
Ralph Merkle, a principal fellow at Zyvex Corp. and winner of the 1998 Feynman Prize, will lead a half-day public program on nanotechnology at the University of California Berkeley campus on Saturday, 5 May 2001 (That's this coming Saturday). Designed for the lay public, "Nanotechnology: Basic Concepts and Potential Applications" will take place on Saturday, May 5, from 1 to 5 p.m., in Dwinelle Hall on the UC Berkeley campus in Berkeley, California. The fee is $20. To register, call 510/642-4111 or register online. For more information see www.learningsphere.org/nanotech.htm.

At the four-hour public UC Berkeley Extension program, Dr. Merkle will explain the basic concepts of nanotechnology and the potential it offers in medicine, computer science, aerospace and the military, as well as other fields. He will examine how the development of this powerful technology could be best guided to maximize the benefits while minimizing any potential risks. The program is co-sponsored by the Foresight Institute.

from the sigh dept.
Both nanofluidicist and Sander Olson call our attention to comments by Richard Smalley of Rice University in the recently released NSET report on the societal implications of nanotechnoogy. In the report, while making remarks in support of the U.S. National Nanotechnology Initiative, Smalley makes reference to the scare that has been raised over the possibility for autonomous, self-replicating nanorobots. According to Smalley, nanobots are "an impossible, childish fantasy," a "fuzzy-minded nightmare dream."

A response to similar comments attributed to Smalley last November appeared in Foresight Update #43.

Read more for an excerpt of Smalley's comment from the report.

from the the-vision-thing dept.
The April 2001 issue of Engineering Times, the monthly magazine of the National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE) features a cover story on nanotechnology ("Science of the Small Has Big Engineering Future", by Rachel Davis). The article ranges over a variety of research from self-assembly and smart materials, to bio-motors and photonics, even medical applications. Itís another indication of the rapidly increasing level of interest in nanotechnology from the engineering community.

Two choice excerpts:
"As engineers broach the "science of the small" and explore nanotechnology, a new world of engineering possibilities is beginning to open up. In addition, recent breakthroughs in many areas-such as materials science, nanoelectronics, microfluidics, proteomics, photonics, and bioinformatics-are spurring changes in the content of engineering courses at universities. In this atmosphere of change, many engineers believe that new disciplines of engineering will emerge or existing disciplines will change to adapt to new fields."
And: "Researchers say the future will also require "Renaissance engineers" who have the communications skills and broad educational background that allow them to work with other professionals who may speak very different technical languages, coming from fields such as biology, physics, chemistry, and materials science."

from the new-york,-new-york! dept.
In addition to the major funding partnership with IBM announced on 23 April 2001, the University of Albany in New York state is moving forward with additional programs to establish itself as a major nanotechnology research and development center. The University of Albany is establishing a School of Nanosciences and Materials to prepare students for high-tech jobs in nanotechnology. The school will offer cross-disciplinary doctoral and master's degree programs. According to a report in the Capital District Business Review from 16 April 2001, Alain Kaloyeros, executive director of the university's Institute for Materials who will be the new school's founding dean, said in a prepared statement that nanotechnology "combines the basic principals of chemistry, physics, biology and engineering to develop the knowledge for controlling and manipulating individual atoms to yield materials, devices and systems."
A more extensive report appeared in the Albany Times Union on 14 April 2001

An article by Kaloyeros in the March 2001 issue of Semiconductor Magazine ("Big Plans for the Tiny World Of NanoTechnology: University, industry and government cooperate in new technology model") provides an in-depth look at the partnership between academia, industry and government that is creating a major nanotechnology research and development center in New York.

from the molectronics dept.
According to an IBM press release, Philip G. Collins, Michael S. Arnold and Phaedon Avouris at the I.B.M. laboratory in Yorktown Heights, N.Y. have built the world's first array of transistors out of carbon nanotubes. The work is reported in the 27 April 2001 issue of Science. The breakthrough is a new batch process for forming large numbers of nanotube transistors. Until now, nanotubes had to be positioned one at a time or by random chance — which while fine for scientific experiments is impossibly slow and tedious for mass production. The IBM press site contains links to graphics that show how the process works.

In the same report, the IBM scientists show how electrical breakdown can be used to remove individual carbon shells of a multi-walled nanotube one-by-one, allowing the scientists to fabricate carbon nanotubes with the precise electrical properties desired. The report also shows how the scientists fabricate field-effect transistors from carbon nanotubes with any variable band-gap desired.

Read more for links to the Science article and press coverage.

from the really-flat-panel-displays dept.
Brian Wang writes "EE Times has an article of a method for fabricating liquid crystal displays that employs self-assembling molecular arrays, and has the potential of disrupting the $1.3 billion LCD optical material market if its developers are able to bring their research to commercial mass production.
Optiva Inc. (South San Francisco, Calif.) has developed a new proprietary molecular engineering method to produce supramolecular lyotropic liquid crystals and optical coatings based on this material. This method could lead to producing LCDs at one-fifth of today's manufacturing costs."

from the e-beam-me-up,-scotty dept.
The entry of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a NASA facility managed by CalTech, into the nanotechnology research and development arena has garnered some news:
Patrick Underwood pointed out this article in the online version Aviation Week and Space Technology on nanotechnology-related work at JPLís new Center for Space Microelectronics Technology (CMST).
Also, Saturngraphix found this JPL press release that provides some details of the work being conducted there.
You can also visit the JPL Center for Space Microelectronics Technology (CMST) website.

from the seeking-the-source dept.
The proposal for the open Public Libary of Science continues to attract attention. alison writes "An extensive Scientific American article describes the proposal to publish the contents of all scientific journals on-line for free." The SA article also has links to debate over the proposal in Science, Nature, and other science journals.

For additional details, see the nanodot post from 13 April 2001.

from the community-relations dept.
alison writes "I propose that IMM/Foresight have a booth at the exhibit or trade show of a major scientific or engineering meeting. The purpose of such a booth would be to recruit new members from the technical community, and in particular, to recruit folks who are players in nanotechnology research."

Read more for the details of alison's proposal.

from the coast-to-coast dept.
According to an Associated Press report in the New York Times, IBM will invest more than $100 million to help create a state Center of Excellence in Nanoelectronics at the State University of New York's Albany campus, (Note: Access to the NY Times site is free, but requires registration.)

New York Gov. George Pataki and company officials announced the contribution on 23 April 2001. Pataki said the state would contribute $50 million for the center, which is expected to initially employ 100 technicians and 400 scientists. The center will create the only university-based, 300-millimeter computer wafer prototype facility in the world, and provide laboratory and clean room space for researchers, incubator space for high-tech company spinoff ventures and a work force development program, officials said. IBM has announced plans to build a $2.5 billion computer chip fabrication plant in East Fishkill, located south of Albany.

Read more for additional information on the New York program, and similar efforts in California.

from the trend-analysis dept.
A short profile in Wired Magazine ("Kurzweil's Law," by P. Boutin) covers Ray Kurzweilís analysis of long-term technological trends. According to the article, "He'll lay out his conclusions next year in a much-anticipated book called The Singularity Is Near, in which (surprise) he'll argue that technology's increasingly rapid pace of change is fundamentally transformative, unstoppable, economically powerful, and cool. It's not just our optical networks that are getting better; according to Kurzweil, the capacity of human consciousness itself is expanding exponentially."

Kurzweilís analyses of these trends "aggregate progress into one big, constantly accelerating curve that flies off the charts at the point where its rate of change becomes infinite – mathematically speaking, a singularity. . . . In lay terms, the future beyond the singularity is completely unpredictable from today's vantage point."

You can find out more on Kurzweilís new web site, www.kurzweilai.net, which was recently covered here.

from the NSETting-the-agenda dept.
The U.S. National Science and Technology Councilís Subcommittee on Nanoscale Science, Engineering and Technology (NSET) has released a 280-page report detailing the presentations from a workshop on the Societal Implications of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, which was held at the National Science Foundation in Washington, D.C., 28-29 September 2000. NSET is the coordinating body for the U.S. National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI).

The workshop report includes a comparative survey of the current studies on societal implications (knowledge and education, technological, economic, medical, environmental, cultural, ethical, legal, cultural, risks, etc.) of advances in nanoscience and nanotechnology, as well as an examination of vision and alternative pathways for the future over short (3-5 years), medium (5-15 years) and long-term (over 20 years) horizons. The report also makes recommendations for research and education programs. The workshop and any follow-on activities are part of the NNI.

The full report is available as an Adobe Acrobat PDF file (2.5 MB).

from the the-diamond-age dept.
An article on Space Daily.com reports researchers at Vanderbilt University have created a prototype diamond-based thermionic solar cell that is potentially 3 to 4 times more efficient than conventional silicon-based cells. The operation of the diamond cells depends on their nanoscale properties.

The cells use diamond films covered with millions of microscopic pyramids: about 10 million per square centimeter. When heated, the tips of these pyramids, which are only a few atoms across, emit streams of high-energy electrons. At the nanoscale, the laws of physics favor the efficient production of high-energy electrons. "It is this nanoscale physics that makes the device work," says Vanderbilt Prof. Timothy S. Fisher, who led the research. He collaborated with Weng Poo Kang, an associate professor of electrical engineering and computer science. The bottom of the diamond film is laminated to a metal sheet that acts as a cathode. When heated, the tips of the tiny pyramids emit streams of electrons that flow across the intervening vacuum to the anode, creating an electric current.

from the memetics dept.
Senior Associate Glenn Reynolds writes: The alternative-rock group "Our Lady Peace" has a new CD out called "Spiritual Machines." It's a concept album (well, kinda) based on Ray Kurzweil's work, and features snips of Ray reading from his book. It's pretty cool. (Downloadable music at www.ourladypeace.com)."

from the active-materials dept.
Researchers at Sandia National Laboratory and the University of New Mexico report they have created what they call self-assembling "intelligent nanostructures" that report on their environment by changing color from blue to fluorescent red under mechanical, chemical, or thermal stress.
According to their press release, the material can distinguish between different solvents by changing color. The material also can report changes in mechanical stress and temperature. When the environmental disturbance is removed, the structures change back to their original color in some cases, making them potentially reusable.
The Sandia/UNM fabrication method evenly pre-distributes monomers — simpler precursors of polymers — within a silica matrix through self-assembly. Exposure to UV light polymerizes the monomers into conjugated polymers housed in nanoscopic channels that penetrate the matrix of the material. The result is a nanocomposite that is mechanically robust, optically transparent, and produces telltale changes of color under changing environmental conditions. The researchers claim they also can control interactions between polymer units that affect a materialís electrical and optical properties.
Aspects of the work are also reported in the 19 April 2001 issue of Nature.

from the The-happening-world dept.
VAB writes "A BBC Article reports Britain is to ban reproductive human cloning as part of a strategy to assure the public that genetic technology will be harnessed for beneficial use only.

Health Secretary Alan Milburn announced on Thursday [19 April 2001] that the government is bringing forward legislation to outlaw human cloning within months. Mr Milburn said that the only way to ensure human cloning never takes place is to ban reproductive human cloning by law.

The health secretary stressed that while Britain should aim to become a world leader in the genetic revolution in healthcare, no progress can be made unless strict boundaries are set to reassure the public about genetic technology."