Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

The Nanotech Nose: Towards A Smaller Future

Posted by michael on from the bigger-and-better dept.

Farrax writes "One of the first steps to nanotechnology, either strong or weak, is the ability to even talk about materials on this scale with precision. Thursday, with the successful test of a nano-tech "nose," that step was achieved: weight fluctuations of 5.5 femtograms were detected on a bar of gold. The dream of nano-technology moves forward: maybe we'll see it by 2020 after all."

7 of 90 comments (clear)

  1. We won't see it by 2020 .. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    unless we use a microscope...

  2. That's it. We're all doomed ... by pantropik · · Score: 5, Funny

    ... last one to turn to grey goo please turn off the lights.

    Or green goo.

    Too tired to (attempt to) make any more jokes. Check here and I'm sure you can come up with some of your own.

  3. Excellant Article on Nanotech by Michael's+a+Jerk! · · Score: 5, Informative

    is Here

    magine a world where microscopic biomechanical devices are used to cure diseases, control our computers, and power the vehicles we drive. In this brave new world, minuscule techno-agents would have incredible computational power--power that is completely imperceptible to the human eye. Devices like these could become commonplace over the next fifty years as new innovations in molecular engineering--also known as nanotechnology--may help establish a new molecular age.

    --

    I'm not Seth.

    1. Re:Excellant Article on Nanotech by $alex_n42 · · Score: 5, Informative

      Google spake thusly:
      Scientific American nanotechnology articles: linky.
      Richard Feynmand's famous talk: linky
      Ralph C. Merkle's Small World article: linky

      Some more google results: linky

      Just though I'd share.

  4. One of my nanotech dreams. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    I imagined from the moment I heard of nanotech, that we could have devices implanted in ourselves that, when we're in the sun, could bring chlorophyll to the surface of our skins and create food from it. That way we can all use up CO2 from the atmosphere to offset the CO2 emissions of industry, and help industry along all the more!

    We get the benefits of industry, with free food, and a way to combat one of the current downfalls of industry!

    My other nanotech dream is that nanobots in my body could change me into a lesbian and I could go have hot lesbian sex each night, but I don't mention that one much

  5. Reading a wee bit too far into this, are we? by klasikahl · · Score: 5, Informative

    Maybe it's the fact that I am reading this at 0330 (MST). However, I think a lot of the /.ers commenting on this article are reading into the potential just a little bit too far. People are talking about stuff anywhere from losing their jobs to nanotechnology all the way to robots taking over the world. This article is about a nano-scale being able to weigh ~122 atoms of gold. This article is not talking about a nano-scale that was able sense the weight, then reflect about it in its /. journal or develop a mastermind scheme on how it will take over the world.

    And unless this ity-bity scale was merely crafted by engineers and never programmed (thus being able to program itself), then I think the human race has nothing to worry about. That's right, /.ers, save your conspiracy theories; they have no weight in comments about being able to measure gold.

  6. Don't confuse nanotech with nanoscience by hak+hak · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I attended a lecture the other day by an expert on nanoscience. One interesting thing he noted is that while nanoscience is making rapid progress, real successes in the field we should call nanotechnology are still far away. We can `see' and `feel' atoms now, but it will take a while before mass-production of molecule-sized devices will be feasible.