Directions In Nanotech

aisnota writes: "Cypress Semicondutor buys Silicon Light Machines and makes a move towards microelectromechanical systems applicable to fiber-optic networks. However, they will be able to leap into nanotechnology with this purchase and Sony is buying into the technology in a big way for the solid revenue stream. Isonics is providing pure isotopes that should also assist in nanotechnologies with pure Silicon-28 succeeds in proving that pure isotopes perform with cooler thermal profiles. "

Comments

Better you than me

[NickAubrey]

Since I'm already scared to death of all this stuff I'll let you read it and figure the implications. Please tell me when it's safe to come out.

Nanotech and the Human Genome

[Dragon218]

This has been flying in my mind ever since I started working at the Library. The combination of Nanites capable of restructuring genetic code would be great for all those genetic diseases like cancer, sickle-cell anemia, and countless others. Reality come back to me and I realized that this is just going to be a new wave of cosmetics.

Nanotech can make you look like you've always wanted!!!!
Yes, for only 3 payments of $44.95 you can have your DNA changed to give you what you always wanted. Now choose from our database of 500 celebrity bueaty genes, pick from stars like Tom Cruse, Kathy Ireland, Keanu Reeves.

The process is simple. A few injections of our nanites and you'll look like who you always wanted to. Guarenteed!

Re:Nanotech and the Human Genome

[SigVn]

Supposing I change my mind next week.

this week I always wanted to look like Drew Carey, supposing next week I always wanted to look like Charles Bronson.

cAN I change?

Could you do sex changes this way?
.....Better yet can you make my girlfriend look like that Rochon girl from "The Big Hit"? or maybe a.....Sheep.

cross link it to the p0rn downloader. WAH HOOH

this has potential you should copyright it quick.

Re:Nano Santa Claus machines?

[Zara2]

The general idea on this is to have a "Building" nanite that will build the Working nanites and replacement building nanites out of the spare parts of carbon or whatever in whatever medium they happen to be in. Bunch of great Sc-Fi books were written on this concept.

Nano Santa Claus machines?

[spankfish]

Does anyone know if there is any research being done into the prospect of self-replicating nanomachines?

I find this to be a particularly fascinating idea. Say for example if there were nanites that could manufacture themselves out of the carbon in your adipose tissue. You could make the little beasties go through and eat up all your fat, and when you run out of fat, they die. You'd probably die too, but hey, it's an interesting possible surgical use, and certainly would be easier to develop than nanites that look for cancer cells.

Is there a microbiologist in the house?

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What'll it all look like at our level?

[kadath23]

All the "nanotech" lately made by us is so hard and dry. I wonder if the future stuff'll be soft and soggy like the existing "nanotech" put out by mother nature.

Re:What'll it all look like at our level?

[AtomicClock]

Considering that some of the best machines are proteins whose shapes change under different conditions (such as the proteins performing active transport across cell membranes or the enzymes which assist in the metabolization of glucose), it's only reasonable to assume that given enough technological proficiency, humans will begin to manufacture nanotechnology at this level of sophistication. Considering its advantages, why shouldn't "nanobots" work much like arrays of smaller more specialized machines (i.e., synthetic organelles) contained within a capsule or membrane? (i.e., a synthetic cell)

Has Anyone realized...

[pompousjerk]

Has anyone realized that if someone creates a self-replicating nanobot out of readily available materials, the earth would be turned to useless crap in an instant??

Just concerned.

http://yotty.freeservers.com

Real Nanotech

[alex the animal]

Just to let you guys know, Eric Drexler terms of the field of producing self-replicating nano-level machines as "Molecular Nanotechnology." Engines of Creation (1984) is his public manual on his Nanotechnological vision. Nano (1995) by Ed Regis is a great biography of the field and explains where we are going very thoroughly. Nanotech is a LOT more than facial reconstruction, as someone suggested in an earlier post. Nanotech is about manipulating individual atoms on the molecular level! They have already done an experiment where they manipulated the structure of carbon atoms and formed a diamond atom. ..this is only the beginning though; when self-replicating nanomachines are actualized the revolution will be one unseen (and greater than) the Industrial. Effects will be worldwide, highly changing etc.. Anyway, hope you guys catch up with the field.

What is Nanotech, really?

[Pajjammn]

I dont think that alot of people appreciate what nanotechnology is all about, or where the state of the art is at this time. Im not very familiar with the field myself, but I do seem to be a little more aware than the average joe.

Academic insitutions like universities are doing lots of research into nanotechnologies, mainly in chemistry and materials science departments. For instance, a professor in my university (Delaware) got his Ph.D. because he made a miniature cube. That is to say, he formed chains of DNA (DNA is our hereditary code, but physically its a polymer molecule. that means its made up of a series of repeating units, like a chain of colored paper clips.) he formed these DNA strands into a cube, by picking the DNA parts, the bases, (different colored paperclips) so that they would combine in the right way and make this cube.

So what, you say? So some crazy chemist can make a cube out of DNA... well the implication can be astounding. Those self-replicating nano-bots that people like so much, well they might be possible in a few hundred years. The idea is, if you can design something to work on a people sized scale (i dont thinke we have any self replicating people-bots) then you could design these things on a smaller scale.

As far as the current state of the art, people are still trying to implement things as simple as tiny circuits. THe idea is to build a framwork with this DNA technology, and connect things like conducting wire to the framework to build circuits. This way you could build a molecule sized circuit. This sort of thing hasnt been realized yet, so it gives you an idea for how far away from actually getting real nano-machines we are.

Hope I helped someone a little .....

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