UK researchers have developed a tiny turbine composed of nested carbon nanotubes. Even though the design is currently only theoretical, many uses having already been suggested for the nanoscale rotor, including in a novel kind of computer memory. The researchers have also suggested that the turbine could be used in a sort of “inkjet” printer for nanofabrication.
But there are possibilities beyond spraying nanoparticles on a surface. If arms were attached to two counter-rotating turbines, then they could be used to forcefully bring molecular components together—mechanosynthesis. It’s probably not possible to make diamondoid structures this way, but there are plenty of other things you could make. After all, we know that this is possible on some level because it’s very similar to how cells form the high energy bond in ATP.
The missing fourth basic element of electronic circuits has been discovered. The memristor, which uses nanoscale circuits that include titanium dioxide, has the unusual ability to remember the last voltage applied to it. Memristors behave similarly to the synapses between neurons, which has led researchers to predict that they could be used to build brain-like computer chips. Such chips could be crucial to developing artificial intelligence since traditional electronic circuits and software have had a difficult time mimicking neural circuits.
Scientists in Massachusetts have engineered bacteria to penetrate tumors in mice and destroy the tumor from the inside out. As The Speculist points out, this essentially makes them a very rudimentary nanorobot. On the other coast, researchers have created new enzymes [hattip: CRN] to carry out reaction that are not catalyzed by any enzyme anywhere. The technique, though computationally intense, can potentially be expanded to virtually any reaction. That means the new enzymes, similar to the bacteria, are some of the first nanomachines and the forerunners of possible molecular assemblers.
There are interesting possibilities for combining the two technologies, as well. For example, rather than using their current method for killing tumors, the bacteria could instead use a novel enzyme to convert an inert substance into a lethal one. This approach would allow medication to be targeted directly to the tumor while minimizing primary or side effects in healthy tissues. But why limit it to fighting tumors? Get the bacteria to hang out in your liver and help process toxins. Or they could speed healing after a heart attack or major surgery. The ability to add new activities to our bodies will be a boon to 21st century medicine.
I remember reading an article in Popular Mechanics many years ago about cars of the future. It ended with a comment about how, in spite of all of their innovations, the prototypes and concept cars all still had windshield wipers. With the arrival of nanotechnology, however, it appears that my kids may grow up and regard the windshield wiper as a relic of the past, just like rotary phones.
Nanodot has an excellent overview of the advances in DNA-based nanoscale assembly that I discussed recently. The Nanodot piece not only summarizes the breakthroughs, it also does a good job of presenting their limitations.
I’m pretty skeptical about so-called “bottom-up” approaches to nanoscale assembly. Such techniques aim to create tiny structures via the precise positioning of individual atoms. Indeed, molecular assembly is the holy grail of nanotechnology, but many scientists think it’s a pipe dream. The only way I can envision bottom-up assembly working is if we take a lesson from nature and emulate or engineer the machinery of cells to do the work for us.
Now, two separate teams of researchers have recently reported on ways to use DNA to construct nanoscale structures. A team at Texas A&M used DNA as a template to create nanowires made from cadmium while researchers at Northwestern University created different arrangements of gold atoms. The cadmium nanowires could be used in advanced electronics or implantable medical devices. The structure of gold don’t suggest an immediate application, but they represent an important step on the path to being able to build complex nanostructures.
While we normally think of DNA as a very long string, it can also be used to form very complex structures such as a truncated octahedron. Thus very complex nanostructures are possible. Molecular assembly as envisioned as envisioned by the pioneers of nanotechnology may not be possible, but we may nonetheless be able to achieve bottom-up assembly by stealing from nature. The possibilities are limitless.
If it seems that natural disasters are more common, that’s because they are. According to a study, disasters are four times more common than twenty years ago. Global warming, of course, is the culprit. Moreover, climate change will lead to famine, which in turn results in increased warfare, and overall population decline.
On the other hand, the future will also bring new avenues of population growth as people live longer, thanks largely to nanotechnology. Here are some examples of nanomedicine plus 10 reasons we’ll live to 1000. Ray Kurzweil has similar ideas, but he also addresses disease in the developing world or similar parallel issues.
We also have to be prepared for reproductive cloning. It’s a twisted idea to most people, but without stringent worldwide controls, someone is going to get it to work, according to the UN. And then we’re faced with the sticky issue of clones’ rights.
So where are we going to put the clones and the centarians? Space is a good answer. Here are 20 things you need to know about living in space.
Finally, marketing to all those consumers will need to adapt, especially as more and more of our lives are lived online in virtual spaces. People will take on different generational roles in different virtual spaces, so marketing will be tailored to the individual, not the crowd. Companies will employ virtual “persona bots” to handle this, and people will have their own persona bots to get more done in a world that’s increasingly virtual.
Scientists have developed a radio built from a single carbon nanotube. Since this nanoradio is many times smaller than a cell, the article talks about using it to peer inside living cells. Indeed, tiny robots could, theoretically, enter a cell and use the radio to send data back. I’m not sure how they would observe the cell since they would require concomitantly small sensors. It’s not like they could simply create a “nanocamera” and literally watch what’s going on in there. Instead, radios like these will find use in nanobots patrolling the body, for example, to clean plaques from arteries or just to monitor overall health.
UK researchers have developed a new fiber made from carbon nanotubes that can be used in body armor, solar panels, and smart clothes. The military is obviously interested in the armor applications, and the fiber performs as well as or better than Kevlar in many respects. That’s great because we can definitely use better body armor, but personally, I’m more interested in smart clothes.
Smart clothes offer features such as sensors to monitor health, integral music player, and keypads and displays that are part of the fabric. The ability of nanotubes to conduct electricity (plus withstand industrial machinery and repeated washings) makes them ideal for such an application. Because why should I have to carry a Blackberry when I can get e-mail on my sleeve?
