GE Claims Ten-Atom Wide Nanotube

Richthofen80 writes "GE is touting a development in nanotechnology; specifically they say they've developed a nanotube ten atoms wide. While the article is a little sparse on the applications for such tubes, they do seem to mention how this should help delay the impending Moore's law crisis with transistor size. According to the article, 'Unlike earlier designs, GE's nanotube can both emit and detect light, GE said. That means it has potential to perform tasks like shining small amounts of light on molecules, a possible application in medicine or security.'"

Comments

Holy Patent Application!

[Dr. Smeegee]

This is the first cool thing I have seen out of actual GE research for a long time. I was a GE employee for 4 years. It seemed from the inside that they would rather have GE Capital aquire the interesting technology- then figure out a way to Six-Sigma and Shigijutsu it to the point where they lose a shit-load of money on it. Medical notwithstanding, the old GE ain't what it used to be.

Re:Holy Patent Application!

[digime]

...then figure out a way to Six-Sigma and Shigijutsu it to the point where they lose a shit-load of money on it.

Amen. I'm working for GE right now. They took a great company, Six-Sigma'ed it and changed the culture so much the customers didn't like it, started losing money, now they're unloading it with an IPO.

Off topic I know but it never ceases to amaze me how management intentionally changes something that works to justify themselves existing. Take McDonalds for instance. Every couple of years for the past 10 or so they've changed something seemingly insignificant about the taste of the food. From keeping the food in little steam drawers, to changing the oil in the fries (they're no longer the best IMO), etc. Bit by bit they've changed something good, that made money, into crap. So they could put down on a piece of paper how many pennies per unit they saved. Each preceeding PHB has pulled the same thing and the cycle will continue until one day, you'll order a cheeseburger and get a pickle wrapped in newspaper. This goes on all over the place, like taking that one ounce out of the ketchup bottle and charging the same price, then the next PHB does it, and so on. All while gradually but surely ruining their products in the customer's eyes.

The article refers to a 'device'

[exp(pi*sqrt(163))]

Yet clearly what they have is a tube. It's a bit of stretch of the imagination to call it a 'device'. But in these days of nanotechnology funding I guess they can't really make a press release saying they've made just a tube.