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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.'"

9 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. The logical conclusion... by ultramk · · Score: 3, Funny

    an ensey-weensy Slinky.

    "look, it's walking!"
    "I can't see anything..."

    --
    You catch enchiladas by picking them up behind the head and holding them underwater until they don't kick anymore -VeGas
  3. 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?

  4. 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 -
  5. Now they can make all sorts of cool stuff by Astrorunner · · Score: 4, Funny

    Like shockabsorbers for nanocars.

    Retractable ball-point nanopens.

    And perhaps the best, what rolls down nanostairs, alone or in pairs, the nanoslinky.

  6. Info about Nanotechnology... by dwheeler · · Score: 5, Informative
    Presumably many readers know a little about nanotechnology, but in case you're looking for beginning information about it, here are a few places to look:
    1. Nanotechplanet's Nanotechnology FAQ
    2. Foresight's FAQ about Molecular Nanotechnology
    3. Richard Feynman's ``There's Plenty of Room at the Bottom'' (an old classic that essentially started the field).
    4. Engines of Creation (by K. Eric Drexler, Anchor Press/Doubleday, 1986)
    --
    - David A. Wheeler (see my Secure Programming HOWTO)
    1. Re:Info about Nanotechnology... by Saeger · · Score: 3, Informative
      And below are links to the full texts of Drexler's Engines of Creation, and Unbounding the Future. If you've got the time, they're both great reads, especially since it reads like scifi, but isn't.
      --
      --
      Power to the Peaceful
  7. 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

  8. Memory by jhines0042 · · Score: 5, Interesting

    By shining one frequency of light on the device, the team was able to crimp the molecule, causing it to pull the diving board downward - converting light into mechanical energy. When another light frequency was used, the molecule relaxed.

    Not quite sure, but if the molecule stays in the kinked or relaxed state absent all light, could they not mount little mirrors on top that would swivel and then use this tech as a massive, persistent, extremely fast, storage mechanism? Sort of like a re-writeable CD but in solid state?

    --
    42 - So long and thanks for all the fish.