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Nanotechnology Harnesses the Power of Light

Posted by michael on from the synthetic-photosynthesis dept.

madirish2600 writes "There's a Washington Post story running about some German scientists who have used light to create a nanotechnology spring. 'Scientists have for the first time used the power of light to create mechanical energy for a microdevice, making a single molecule of plastic drive a tiny machine.'"

4 of 101 comments (clear)

  1. The designers should get with Rube Goldberg by Zen+Mastuh · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Slightly off-topic, but imagine the merging of this technology with the whimsical, counter-intuitive machines of Rube Goldberg. The nanosprings could be combined with nanoballs, nanochutes, nanoratchets, nanopteradactyls, etc... to fabricate imaginative contraptions that would only be visible to high-power microscopes.

    --
    "What is the sound of one belly slapping?"
  2. Solar? by Jucius+Maximus · · Score: 3, Insightful

    I wonder how feasable this would be in the long term as a replacement for solar panels. How much wattage can you get out of a square meter of light exposed surface?

  3. Optics by fabjep · · Score: 3, Insightful

    If these things can be tuned to specific frequencies as was suggested, I would think this would have some fun oplications in digital photography miniaturization or transplant retinas or something like that.

    --
    - learn mathematics - shoot dope -
  4. flea circus by rwa2 · · Score: 3, Insightful

    So if they get the diving board to move a filter that switches between the two wavelengths, they can make the nanospring flex cyclically?

    Boingy boingy boingy