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Moving Water Molecules By Light

Posted by Hemos on from the each-one-a-new-building-block dept.

Roland Piquepaille writes "An interdisciplinary team of researchers at Arizona State University (ASU) has discovered a new nanotechnology effect, the ability of moving water molecules by light. This is a far better way than current methods such as damaging electric fields and opens the way to a new class of microfluidic devices used in analytical chemistry and for pharmaceutical research. For example, this makes possible to design a device that can move drugs dissolved in water, or droplets of water and samples that need to be tested for environmental or biochemical analyses. Please read this overview for more details and references, plus an image of two water drops illuminated with a fluorescent dye and sitting respectively on a nanowire surface and on a flat surface."

6 of 96 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Sigh by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Insightful
    I hear you.

    Me: "I can't crack this problem. I get this partial differential equation and it looks really hairy."

    Lecturer: "Well, you're making it too complex from the start. As a first approximation you should approximate that the intensity is linearly proportional to x..."

    Me: "Hey, wait a minute. Where in the problem does it say so?"

    Lecturer: "It doesn't say so anywhere. That's what us physicists do. If the mathematics gets too hard, try a simpler physical model. Use your imagination!"

    Me: *sigh* "And physics is supposed to be a hard science"

  2. While nanotechnology is neat... by Sheetrock · · Score: 1, Insightful
    I wonder at what point everybody's going to slow down with the research in recognition of the fact that we haven't figured out a way to curb the serious abuses (i.e. the goo problem) that can occur with each new discovery in the field.

    Einstein agonized over the ramifications of his research into the atom far too late. We can already see the writing on the wall with nanotech -- perhaps it should be considered that the threat is greater than the promise?

    --

    Try not. Do or do not, there is no try.
    -- Dr. Spock, stardate 2822-3.




    1. Re:While nanotechnology is neat... by GoofyBoy · · Score: 3, Insightful

      The problem of this is that;

      1. It will eventually get discovered. Could we have ignored radar/gunpowder/pointy sticks inventions for this long?
      2. No matter how long you think of something or plan something out, there will be someone who comes up with a flaw in your plans. Think bugs in software or man tampering with nature.

      --
      The surprise isn't how often we make bad choices; the surprise is how seldom they defeat us.
    2. Re:While nanotechnology is neat... by GoofyBoy · · Score: 3, Insightful

      >However, your first point sounds eerily fallacious to me. "It will eventually get discovered"

      The atomic race was based entirely on this. Who will get the bomb first? Those in charge on either side did not have the luxury of sitting back and saying "Maybe we shouldn't" because the other side might succeed before them.

      Look at today and how many countries can produce the bomb. Most of them got the know-how independently from each other. And the US is running around trying to control it from getting out of hand.

      --
      The surprise isn't how often we make bad choices; the surprise is how seldom they defeat us.
  3. Re:Please stop by GileadGreene · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I'll second that motion. The sheer quantity of Piquepaille articles is astounding - something like 1 every 2-3 days (does he give kickbacks to the /. eds?). And as you say, every single one includes links to his blog. At least Google has the courtesy to place the ads in a separate screen location, instead of embedding them directly in their "product".

  4. Nice, but how about separating into H2 + O by tjstork · · Score: 2, Insightful

    That does seem to be the more pressing problem.

    --
    This is my sig.