Slashdot Mirror


New Technique For 2D Imaging Of Nanostructures

NanotechNews.com writes: "It seems that researchers (One of those is Norm Bartelt) at the U.S. Department of Energy?s Sandia National Laboratory have created a new way to represent self-assembling nanostructures (The bottom up approach of nanotechnology). They can record in real time, real space (real time video) the nanostructures, which self-assemble and transform. They used a low-energy electron microscope (LEEM). Furthermore the core of the news is: "Theorists long have believed that competing attractive and repulsive inter-atomic interactions can lead to the spontaneous formation of ordered patterns in widely varying chemical and physical systems. Potentially, such patterns could be used as templates for nanostructure fabrications.""

81 comments

  1. FIRST POST by Spootnik · · Score: -1

    ___ ___ ___ ___
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    1. Re:FIRST POST by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

      Holy shit, thats pretty cool.

  2. FIRST NANO POST by Spootnik · · Score: -1

    ___ ___ ___ ___
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    \/__/ \:\/:/ / \:\/:/ / \/__/
    \::/ / \::/ /
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    1. Re:FIRST NANO POST by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

      i hate you all. i wish you would all die. just kidding ;). i dont want you to die (well, not all of you). please forgive my rude outpurst as i am very stoned right now.

      hey, that sounds like a song.

      (my first attempt at ASCII art)

      \kl;'opy[
      89y0';to^
      9-['790
      ['90[
      0-
      ]79
      -0
      [-79]
      780]
      6-]=
      u0-u0-

      \

      waht do you guys think aboot this shizit, tight huh cuz?

    2. Re:FIRST NANO POST by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      YO YO YO, mod dat shizit up hommie. dat shit be da BOMB!!!!!!!

      i have a confession to make, i posted the parent to this, i just really want some karma points, wait a minute, dont you have to have an account to get points, you fuckers tricked, sonsofbitchs, NO, i dont need periods you grammar whore,

  3. mirror of post in case slashdot slashdots itself by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Redundant

    NanotechNews.com writes: "It seems that researchers (One of those is Norm Bartelt) at the U.S. Department of Energy's Sandia National Laboratory have created a new way to represent self-assembling nanostructures (The bottom up approach of nanotechnology). They can record in real time, real space (real time video) the nanostructures, which self-assemble and transform. They used a low-energy electron microscope (LEEM). Furthermore the core of the news is: "Theorists long have believed that competing attractive and repulsive inter-atomic interactions can lead to the spontaneous formation of ordered patterns in widely varying chemical and physical systems. Potentially, such patterns could be used as templates for nanostructure fabrications.""

  4. Go nanotechnoloy by forkspoon · · Score: 0

    Someday I can have a 1E-10000m sculpture of my naked body.

    1. Re:Go nanotechnoloy by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      an African or a European swallow?

      Laden or unladen?

  5. obviously great news by DrSkwid · · Score: 1

    for the wallpaper industry

    Just imagine self aligning wallpaper that glues itself to the wall.

    --
    There are places where the networks are not touching,and there are places where they are-Boeing's Lori Gunter
    1. Re:obviously great news by DaRiachu · · Score: 1

      ...Random? Heh.

  6. Mirror of article in case the site is slashdotted by Spootnik · · Score: -1
    Nanotemplates for nanostructures First controllable 2D nanopatterns imaged by Sandia researchers


    An evolution from droplets to stripes to inverted droplets , predicted by theory, is demonstrated here in successive images by Sandia experimenters.
    Download 300dpi JPEG image, 'Kellogg_Fig2.jpg', 172K (Media are welcome to download/publish this image with related news stories.)

    ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -- The first vision of a peaceable kingdom in which deposited atoms form orderly, controllable 2-D nanopatterns has been observed by researchers at the Department of Energy's Sandia National Laboratories.

    Pattern control at this level means that nanotemplates could be formed to fine-tune the device characteristics of self-assembling nanostructures. Possibly, characteristics could be tailored for devices like photonic lattices, an advanced method for controlling light and of wide interest to the huge telecommunications industry.

    The work, described in the Aug. 30 Nature, produced real-time video of atoms self-arranging themselves in the manner long predicted by a variety of theorists but contrary to ordinary intuition. Thus, such theories generally had been treated with a great deal of skepticism, says Sandia physicist Norm Bartelt: "There was no obvious route for atoms to arrange themselves in predicted patterns."

    Says Sandia researcher Richard Plass, "Kinetics say that 10,000 moving atoms should go anywhere. Nobody really expected an assembly would arise."

    Observation of the real-time assembly process, along with control over physical factors that influence that process, offer a means of finding out far more about the conditions under which atoms self-assemble than any theory could predict, and thus, how to influence that assembly into more desirable structures.

    "There are many control knobs we can turn to create new patterns," says Bartelt. Among them are temperature and material composition.

    The researchers observed atoms of lead deposited on a copper substrate forming, first, lead dots, then lead stripes, and then reverse dots -- copper becoming the dot material -- as more lead is added.


    Lead atoms are portrayed nestling on a bed of copper atoms as substrate coverage increases.
    Download 300dpi JPEG image, 'Kellogg_Fig1.jpg', 508K (Media are welcome to download/publish this image with related news stories.)

    "The work -- which to our knowledge is the first unambiguous observation of the expected sequence of domain patterns -- helps understand the new physics that manifests itself at these small length scales," says Sandia project lead Gary Kellogg. "New materials with highly specialized properties necessary to meet defense and consumer needs can be fabricated only by tailoring the structure of the material on the nanometer scale. This work provides insight into how nature does this, and how humans can do the same."

    Sandia researchers were able to record real-time, real-space images using a low-energy electron microscope (LEEM) that show exactly how the nanostructures are generated, self-assemble, and transform. "The close agreement between experiment and theory allows us to probe the key inter-atomic force parameters involved in the process," says Kellogg.

    Theorists long have believed that competing attractive and repulsive inter-atomic interactions can lead to the spontaneous formation of ordered patterns in widely varying chemical and physical systems. Potentially, such patterns could be used as templates for nanostructure fabrications.

    "There are precedents for people using these patterns for further growth of quantum dots," says Bartelt. "They can be the starting point of controllable patterns that extend into three dimensions."

    Though models have clearly predicted the possibility of controlling any pattern's geometry and order, depending on temperature and amount of secondary metal introduced, experimental verification of these models had remained elusive till now.

  7. Is this completely nuts? by K8Fan · · Score: 2

    A while back, we saw a method for moving objects around using complex waveforms

    It occured to me that this basic idea (at extremely higher frequencies) could be used to move nanoscale structures around.

    --
    "How perfectly Goddamn delightful it all is, to be sure" Charles Crumb
    1. Re:Is this completely nuts? by matrix0040 · · Score: 2, Interesting

      The problem there is that at that small resolution you cannot trust what you see. There's a basic limit expressed in terms of Heisenberg uncertainity principle which states that if u know the position then u can't know the velocity. So theres a trade off there. So it's not possible to move nanoscale structures around .

    2. Re:Is this completely nuts? by b0r1s · · Score: 1

      Basically, it's a nice idea, but not really feasible.

      Someone already noted that Heisenberg says we cant trust the position of very very small things, and even if we could, by the time that technique moved the nanostructures into place, we'd certainly no longer know where they were. That previous article points out a useful way to move multiple large objects at once, but it's nearly useless on small, nanoscale objects, even in limited quantities.

      --
      Mooniacs for iOS and Android
    3. Re:Is this completely nuts? by AlecC · · Score: 2, Funny

      Why do you think that this is approaching the Heisenberg limit? It is working on the same scale as cellular cehmistry works e.g. DNA decoding and protein synthesis. The Heisenberg limit, at normal temperatures, only cuts in another level lower, for individual electrons and suchlike.

      Mind you, this is an awful long way from anything useful. Good research, though.

      --
      Consciousness is an illusion caused by an excess of self consciousness.
    4. Re:Is this completely nuts? by astafas · · Score: 1

      The Heisenberg limit will come into play when we deal with objects the size of electrons. This nanoscale structure deals with objects the size of atoms, about a thousand times the larger than where you have to worry about Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle.

  8. this is cool by matrix0040 · · Score: 1

    so many times have experiments proven intution wrong.
    Says Sandia researcher Richard Plass, "Kinetics say that 10,000 moving atoms should go anywhere. Nobody really expected an assembly would arise."
    Whoever said life couldn;t evolve just cuz it's probabilistically impossible for a random process to create something as intelligent as human(allright with the exception of / . ers), needs to think again.

    1. Re:this is cool by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You don't know if it is truly a random process or just something that God created to be so complex that it looks like random to us.

    2. Re:this is cool by matrix0040 · · Score: 1

      well that's the whole point. Is this random or not. If it were random then the chance of those atoms aligning in a pattern is zero for all practical purposes. Similarly if evolution was random then the chances of creating something as intelligent as human is zero.
      What this shows us is that it can't be random. If u stretch it a bit far and draw a simili to evolution then maybe darwins right. There's a definate direction in evolution.

    3. Re:this is cool by DrSkwid · · Score: 1

      then maybe darwins right. There's a definate direction in evolution.

      The neo-Darwinists have discussed this at some length.

      Dawkins postulates that there are attractors in the morphology space that structures are more likely to form. In this way independent evolution of similar morphological features is inevitable.

      symmetry
      forward facing eyes for predators
      side facing eyes for prey

      so Darwins 'direction' is somewhat fallacious in being anthropomorphic.

      Increased complexity is about the only definate direction observed.

      --
      There are places where the networks are not touching,and there are places where they are-Boeing's Lori Gunter
    4. Re:this is cool by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

      I fucked your god in the ass.
      This is what he said.

  9. SUPPORT OPEN SOURCE GNUHAIKU POETRY by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    I have a penis
    Waiting for a hole to fill
    Could I borrow one

    1. Re:SUPPORT OPEN SOURCE GNUHAIKU POETRY by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

      This dude is a philosopher...

  10. Re:mirror of post in case slashdot slashdots itsel by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    oops! undoing bad moderation.....

  11. Energy?s by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    Everyone and their hamster know that the ascii character for "'" is 0x27, not 0x92.

    1. Re:Energy?s by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic
      I don't!

      And what's that "0x" supposed to mean?

      Ox-twenty-seven? You're so elite!

    2. Re:Energy?s by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Flamebait
      Using Mozilla, eh?

      Blame it for not being standards compliant and showing shit like that.

      I'm reading the article with IE and it shows everything just fine.

    3. Re:Energy?s by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

      printf("%c%c%c%c%c%c%c%c\n", 0x46, 0x55, 0x43, 0x4b, 0x20, 0x59, 0x4f, 0x55);

    4. Re:Energy?s by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

      IE's the non-standard one - Microsoft software mislabels their own dodgy character set as ISO

      That's right folks, Micro$oft are trying to emberace+extend the very most basic parts of the modern computer - including departing from a the ISO standard character sets in the most annying places.

    5. Re:Energy?s by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic
      You can scream all you want about what the standards look like on paper but the fact is that Microsoft IS the standard today.

      Comply or perish.

    6. Re:Energy?s by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

      FUCKYOU
      FUCKYO U
      F UCK YOU
      FU CK YO U
      FU CK YO U

    7. Re:Energy?s by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

      No, they are not. Microsoft products are without doubt the most used among dumbfucks, but far from being the standard.

    8. Re:Energy?s by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

      %46%55%43%4B

    9. Re:Energy?s by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

      I couldn't give a fuck if it is or is not 'standard' - IT WORKS!

      I am no M$ lover, but let's face it, Mozzila and Nutscrape are both piles of steaming shite.

  12. SUPPORT OPEN SOURCE GNUHAIKU POETRY by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    My cock is hard now
    There is no creamy fluid
    Is something broken

    RELEASED UNDER THE GNU PUBLIC LICENSE

  13. Matter replication? by gnovos · · Score: 2, Interesting

    How far is 2-D from 3-D (or at least multiple layers of 2-D) nanostructures? And then how far from those 3-D nano-structures to 3-D human-touchable sized structures? Primitive matter replication may not be that far away folks, and if you think there are problems now with digital copy protection laws, you ain't seen nuthin yet!

    Imagine the chaos to come when a dollar bill, or a stock certificate, or a strand of DNA can be copied perfectly, a molecular twin of the original...

    I don't know if we are headed for utopia or armageddon, but at least it's going to be an interesting trip! :)

    --
    "Your superior intellect is no match for our puny weapons!"
    1. Re:Matter replication? by Ziviyr · · Score: 1
      Fourtunately a perfect copy of a bill will have a perfect copy of the serial number. Be fairly easy to filter these out of the economy.

      As for introducing it. If you needed perfect copies it wouldn't be an issue today.

      --

      Someone set us up the bomb, so shine we are!
    2. Re:Matter replication? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yeah, right. As if the serial numbers have really been recorded somewhere.

    3. Re:Matter replication? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yes it is, and the government spend so much effort on tracking fake money that it cost approximately $6 for each one dollar bills they print.

    4. Re:Matter replication? by gnovos · · Score: 2, Insightful

      "Be fairly easy to filter these out of the economy."

      How exactly? If the copy is perfect, I mean down to the exact placement of every molecule, who has the "real" dollar? For that matter, who has the "real" Picasso? Who has the "real" Ford Taurus, the "real" can of Hormel chili, or the "real" first-edition signed copy of Spiderman? Sit and think for a minute of all the physical things in your life that have some monetary value. How many of those things would suddenly become worth purely the cost of raw materials if the "Matter Replicator" becomes a reality.

      I admit that this technology is a ways off, but it is feasible. It isn't just a pipe dream for the SF writers to ponder over for the next 1,000 years, it is something that may exist in the next 100.

      How will we deal with it? There will be a huge paradigm shift in the world of economics when such a device exists, and we aren't going to be prepared for it...

      --
      "Your superior intellect is no match for our puny weapons!"
    5. Re:Matter replication? by astafas · · Score: 1

      It's not the money I worry about being copied, it's ME I'm worried about someone copying. If there is another me that is made, that other knows all my secrets. Even DNA copying wouldn't compare.

    6. Re:Matter replication? by p3d0 · · Score: 2

      The impression I got from the article is that this has nothing to do with fabrication. They are simply imaging a process which occurs anyway. However, I may have misunderstood.

      --
      Patrick Doyle
      I mod down every jackass who puts his moderation policy in his sig. Oh, wait a sec....
    7. Re:Matter replication? by Niksie3 · · Score: 1

      who cares, an exact copy of you will know everything you know, But once he hears he is simply a replicated object he will promptly shut up. think about it, if someone you don't know asks about your secrets, what do you say? if it is "No fucking way you idiot", your replica will say the exact same!!!

      --
      Sig you!
  14. But what does this have to do by SmokeABong · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    But what does this have to do with marijuana? The kind, flowery bud that has given mankind so much peace and happiness?

    I say we all smoke some marijuana.

    And if you don't have any, find a friend who does. And tell that friend, "I'd like to smoke some marijuana with you." And you could toke up in peace.

    Until the cops come busting through your door, with their guns blazing, and ruin your life over a plant that God has put on this earth!!

    Legalize it, smoke it, love it! Whatever you choose, remember that it is so much better than alcohol.

    1. Re:But what does this have to do by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic
      I must say that your post is the most insightful one under this article.

      Wish I had some pot. Finland is such a narcophobic country that it's practically impossible to get a hold of even mild drugs such as marijuana. Try to grow your own in your apartment (the Finnish climate doesn't really suit outdoor "gardening") and your neighbour might turn you in for the smell of budding marijuana flowers.

    2. Re:But what does this have to do by SmokeABong · · Score: -1, Offtopic

      Thank you for your perspective on the "insightful" aspect of my post. I bet, however, that the mods aren't going to mark it up as insightful. :) Yes, it is a shame that prople who want to grow their own marijuana to smoke it, in the privacy of their own home, are persecuted as you and I are. Be more vocal, smoke what you like, make your voice heard, and it will be legal one day!

  15. SUPPORT OPEN SOURCE GNUHAIKU POETRY by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    If my cock goes limp
    And it is deep in my pants
    Is it heisenberg

    RELEASED UNDER THE GNU PUBLIC LICENSE

  16. marijuana = horrible drug by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    they should forbid the sale of it.

    ...and replace it with shrooms!
    screw the coffeeshops, we want mushroom-restaurants!

    1. Re:marijuana = horrible drug by SmokeABong · · Score: -1, Offtopic

      Bite your tongue, oh anonymous one. Make them both legal, and double your pleasure!

    2. Re:marijuana = horrible drug by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

      they are both "legal" where I live
      but... I don't want kids to smoke weed all day and get lung/throat/mouth-cancer 20 years from now...

    3. Re:marijuana = horrible drug by SmokeABong · · Score: -1, Offtopic

      OK, then. When they're old enough, they can make pot brownies, or cannabutter. Enjoy the plant, without smoking a thing. That, or give them a vaporizer for their 18th birthday ("Here ya go, kiddo!"). Vaporizers allow the goodies from the drug into their system, but leave behind all the tar and smoke and crap.

    4. Re:marijuana = horrible drug by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

      that's just not "cool" (which is very important for the poor and rich kids, and immigrants), and it is hard to make... also, here in continental europe we like to think that the kitchen is the woman's place, not for men to make cakes and cookies... we're men, not grandmothers! and vaporizers? i've heard about them, but i've never used/seen one and neither have my friends... they're too exotic..

    5. Re:marijuana = horrible drug by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

      say verde. this could be nice. problem is all the toxic bio chemical war fare that goes on? such as engineer a food so that you can maybe tell just by the crap when one eats it? or say spray flu crystal like structures into sky... and see what that does, most, stuff i see these days is created. in one way or another. the resounding ping to such is state, testing bogus bull, imho. 8). retard, zig off enc yal dor kus you mos tly are. heh. print that on a t-shirt for me. 8)

    6. Re:marijuana = horrible drug by SmokeABong · · Score: -1, Offtopic

      I've lived in Europe. I know how that goes. So tell the wife to fire up a batch of yummy brownies, or other tasty delights! :) And vaporizers? They cost less than bongs now. :) They're hitting the mainstream.

    7. Re:marijuana = horrible drug by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

      but... I don't even like being stoned! the only good thing for me about it is, if you smoke it your throat/mouth is so dry and sticky.. which is excellent to smoke cigarettes... but i've virtually quit smoking 1 year ago... i still borrow a few cigarettes from friends when I'm drunk and I buy a pack when I'm going to eat shrooms, and if i have cigarettes left after that I give them to friends

  17. Dumb question? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    without bother, of checking the whole post. is machine level computing based on mechanical switches of the nano scale yet?

  18. SUPPORT OPEN SOURCE GNUHAIKU POETRY by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    Mozilla sucks ass
    Internet Explorer rules
    Are you blind you fool

    RELEASED UNDER GNU PUBLIC LICENSE

  19. SUPPORT OPEN SOURCE GNUHAIKU POETRY by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

    I am suprised
    At the copy in my pants
    It is unique

    RELEASED UNDER GNU PUBLIC LICENSE

  20. Yes by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    It's been like that since the 1930's, it was discovered by Nazi scientists who were ordered by Hitler to develop some sort of "catalogueing device". Then, Hitler ordered his scientists to invent a drug so that his tankcrews could fight for days, and they invented Yaba, also known as the hitlerdrug. Currently it's mainly being produced in southeast asia and (re?)gaining popularity in western europe for the past few years.

    1. Re:Yes by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

      hmm sounds like an ignorant reply. so, its chill'gnore bee atch. etch the be at ti zz. heh. now i toy with you.

  21. How can it be unique, when it is a copy? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    It's impossible! I shall call this the SlashdotParadox!

  22. The primary application of this type of imaging by deathcow · · Score: 1

    The primary application of this type of imaging is immediately obvious to any seasoned slashdotter.

    1. Re:The primary application of this type of imaging by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      lol @ nano pr0n

  23. Re:marijuana = safe drug by SmokeABong · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    Jesus, I said marijuana, not crack!

  24. 12 to 52 last whatever count. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    man, i guess i should learn ada code'n. or some slac 'n time. dudes relax its just the jest'n fool on a few live wires.

  25. Software? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    What kind of software do these things run?
    www.nanoware.org

  26. Re:Money replication? by Darth+Paul · · Score: 2, Interesting
    Why talk about money, when such a technology would make money obselete?

    Indeed, maybe you could take this a step further and say that a replicator would abolish the concept of "economy" as we know it.

    Economy is based on "scarcity", that resources are limited, money being a way of measuring relative worths (albeit poorly). Take that away, and money loses its representative power.

    I can think of three possible replacement currencies: 1) Respect 2) Services and 3) Willingness to use replicated weapons.

  27. New warez or new GNU? by erotus · · Score: 2

    "if you think there are problems now with digital copy protection laws, you ain't seen nuthin yet!"

    Star trek like replicators, Oh my! I can see it now... download your billz here. Seriously though, this would extend IP laws to physical objects since they would also be an arrangement of "numbers" of some kind... hell, they already are. This would open up a serious can of worms and with laws like the DMCA, the chilling effect would be horrible. Granted, I highly doubt a replication device would fall into the hands of consumers without serious copy protections built in. I highly doubt consumers would even be able to buy such devices but lets speculate for a moment.

    Now for the funny part - Imagine downloading warez like:
    happy_meal.img
    vaio_laptop.img
    notebook_paper.img

    Now, the above examples could be forseen by the industries as bad bad bad. Imagine MacDonalds with a lawsuit against burger pirates. Imagine Sony going bonkers because people are copying their laptop and not buying the hardware. Notebook paper replication will at least save trees. Now, if intricate machines like laptops can be replicated, you'd better believe that such replicators would only be used in the industry to cut manufacturing costs. Create one perfect laptop and clone the hell out of it.

    The first example, a happy meal image, is quite interesting to ponder. If such an abundant supply of food could exist, how long before lawsuits fly around when poorer nations use this technology to feed the hungry. Will MacDonalds, Pizza Hut, or even the local grocery store chains throw a fit? I bet they would! It will be like Drug companies going after the third world for cloning their pills, only much worse.

    Anyhow, my final thought to throw out to all of you would concern the free software philosophy as it applies to physical objects. Would RMS create an open source hardware equivalent of GNU for the benefit of humanity despite the loss of "potential" revenue for the evil, greedy corporations? Would someone create a good steak and image it for free? Would you check the source first... Anti-virus could have a new meaning in this realm you know. As far as hardware goes, what would stop someone from creating a perfect looking/working laptop that would explode after 5 minutes of use? The world is certainly going to be an interesting place if nanotech has this potential.

    1. Re:New warez or new GNU? by cmclean · · Score: 1
      happy_meal.img
      vaio_laptop.img
      notebook_paper.img

      Now, the above examples could be forseen by the industries as bad bad bad. Imagine MacDonalds with a lawsuit against burger pirates.

      No problem, just get hold of microsoft_legal_team.img ;-)

      cmclean

      --
      "Any similarity between the hooting of a million eager monkeys and Slashdot is purely coincidental." -THEFLASHMAN
    2. Re:New warez or new GNU? by Darth+Paul · · Score: 1
      It's an interesting parallel between internet and matter. Basically, a replicator could do for matter what the internet has done for information.

      The internet is the open environment today because the "people" got to it before the corporations (or more succinctly, it wasn't built with a profit motive in mind).

      If replication technology happens, a major decider of its impact will be who gets to it first. If it remains a closed technology, with a few companies replicating some unmanufacturable in the name of money, we're in for a bad time. Like, say if the only C compiler was in Microsoft hands. (The information->matter, compiler->replicator analogy has some interesting mileage in it...)

      Replication could be the e=mc^2 of the 21st century - matter and information being interchangeable.

    3. Re:New warez or new GNU? by StompmotS · · Score: 1

      I highly doubt consumers would even be able to buy such devices but lets speculate for a moment.

      Way not build two replicators and using one to replicate the other?

    4. Re:New warez or new GNU? by aoihai · · Score: 1

      Phear the Hamburglar.

      --
      You were eaten by a grue.
  28. very cool but... by perc · · Score: 1

    I have to say it all looks very cool... but from my understanding of the article (call me stoopid if you so desire) the pattern was predicted based on various things such as the elements involved and temperature. ie. a limited number of factors. Surely that means that there is a realistic limit to the number of patterns that can be created?

    I mean, it's possible that this limited number of patterns would be enough to create useful (ie. computational/mechanical) structures at the 100 x nano level, but I can't see this technology leading to the complete matter pattern replication mentioned earlier.

    Not to say that we won't someday see complete matter pattern replication, just that methinks this aint it.

    -Perc.

  29. Material by thefogger · · Score: 1

    As far as my understanding goes, you still need the material to form or build something from. It's not like building something from hot air, (well, at least not if it's not going to be made of CO2, O or N), you still need to provide the atoms you want to build your new stuff from. Your mp3 player uses gold conductors? You need gold. You want to have some nuclear missles for self-defense? You need uraninum or the likes. So, until we can't put single protons, neutrons and eletrons together to make custom made atoms, it's not like star trek. (*sigh*)

    --


    Um... I didn't do it!
    1. Re:Material by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      yeah its the ana log jack. foundation of all, ie any and all current computing systems is? hey bitch you prove me wrong. okie dokie ass, unless you do, its of silicon dope myth. NOW. check, record this MARK, target is DC, as its a party place, yam i'm been there. but i know about stone, and how to break it, via AUDIO waves, alone. and if we wanna sound check on electro mechanical states that EXIST to say create theory such that i have reason to pebb say a Stance or One. that break this sling' as shit has i've read. PRIME MOD LOGIC. bitch. so destroy the prime. and i'll give a JEST on PRIME say PIE. take that PRIME TIME random...
      logic... break check. TESLA knew a thing or two last time i had to bitch and yell some fucks from a a lest TRY and be POLITE, and just say they were BE I Free random state, the fbi, and i will digress, as its VERY FUN, to say such load, of BULL, that the cia, and the nsa, all have very dirty hands, hey MaMa Zai shack i LIVE ie: Madarin orange Tango, wango ... DO NOT piss off those that WILL hand the wave motion device to say the AMISH, as we all know they dont use electricity. CAN u dig it. all of the above is just jest of the SOUND records, that the DCRM, digital copy rights MIL. INTROSPECTION time. ha ha ya a ha. or to say yamaha. PEACE.

  30. first good use of LEEM i've seen by mr.fr0g · · Score: 1

    Public data on the low energy electron microscope was first published (as far as i know) in late 1995.

    So...my question is: what the hell took these people so long!? i'm happy to finally see results from the

    LEEM, a versatile tool that can be used in everything from cancer research to advanced molecular physics

    with good effect. Hopefully this is just one of the many breakthroughs we'll see slashdotted as a result of the LEEM.

  31. hey jedi this mythi '71 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    los lobo mas amore, tango over tempo, at time.

    i fear not as the shit i talk, Walks.

  32. link to some videos? by Bacteriophage · · Score: 1

    They made real-time videos, right? Why are they not offering them up for download? I see no reason to classify them...

    --
    "Be regular and orderly in your life, so that you may be violent and original in your work." -Flaubert
  33. OT:obviously great news by f97hs · · Score: 1

    and finally, that chess paint santa is using might be reality!

  34. Re:Money replication? by Rubyflame · · Score: 1

    How do you exchange "willingness to use replicated weapons"?

    It seems to me that the currency would be energy, which can't be replicated.

    --

    All it takes is nukes and nerves.
  35. Napster Fabbing by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    The IP implications of this have been touched upon before:

    http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=01/02/12/0458 21 7