Nanotech Assembly One Step Closer

perrin5 writes "according to Science Daily researchers at University at Buffalo have managed to assemble 3D structures of carbon,silicon, and latex by using "non uniform AC electric fields" as the shaping impetus. I've never really understood exactly what purpose nano-machines were going to fufill, especially in their early stages. Any one care to fill me in?"

Comments

Re:What can they do?

[TheSHAD0W]

Well, in Stephenson's Diamond Age, that's basically what was happening, except one step further on... Nanotech was based on "feed" technology, where in order for a nanofactory to work it had to be hooked up to a source pipe. Since each pattern had a different number of atoms of each type, each pattern had its own fingerprint, and if objects were generated without the IP holder being paid royalties, or if the objects were dangerous, the culprit could be tracked down.

There was a new technology, called "seed" technology, where an independent bunch of nanos would not only act as a factory, but would also absorb raw materials by themselves. The powers that be were quite unhappy with their loss of control over nanotech, and were actively trying to suppress the new paradigm.

Politics/economics, not technology

[dpilot]

Again, science fiction can show some of the range available to us in the future.

Obviously "The Diamond Age" has been pointed out as one possible future. Rather an odd one, as it has both dystopic and Utopia features to it. Usually literature focuses more on one or the other.

Joe Haldeman brought out another possibility in "The Forever Peace" where he invoked similar capabilities to The Diamond Age, but with a completely different model of control. In The Diamond Age, nanotech construction was available to anyone at a market price. In The Forever Peace, the US government managed to convince everyone that nanotech was inherently dangerous, and ran a small number of NanoForges on a very limited basis. At least public use was very limited.

Greg Bear's use of nanotech in Queen of Angels, Slant, and Moving Mars is somewhere between, but probably closer to Haldeman than Stephenson.

I also just finished A Deepness In the Sky by Verner Vinge, which skirted nanotech, and brings up an interesting contrast.

Briefly, nanotech in science fiction takes on two forms, replicators and itsy-bitsy machines. The Diamond Age had both models. Greg Bear used mostly replication in Queen of Angels and Slant, with itsy-bitsy machines in Moving Mars. Haldeman focused on replication.

Obviously replication becomes an interesting issue framing today's copyright debates. Itsy-bitsy machines are interesting in the context of today's security/privacy debates, since the most basic use seems to be surveillance.

Replication was also touched on much earlier, in a story (name forgotten) where aliens give us a replicator. Of course first you replicate the replicator, then watch the economy break down as goods become free. Some even wonder if giving us the replicator was a prelude to an invasion because of the economic effects. Then someone hits on the idea of Originals, and the economy is saved! Copyright triumphs, effectively.

Fortunately we're a long way from any of these concerns. In the meantime, I hope for some moderately itsy-bitsy machines, most notably the pill camera as I approach 50.