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Nanocar Wins Top Science Award

Posted by ScuttleMonkey on from the more-than-meets-the-eye dept.

Lucas123 writes "A researcher who built a car slightly larger than a strand of DNA won the Foresight Institute Feynman Prize for experimental nanotechnology. James Tour, a professor of chemistry at Rice Univ. built a car only 4 nanometers in width in order to demonstrate that nanovehicles could be controlled enough to deliver payloads to build larger objects, such as memory chips and, someday, even buildings, like a self-assembling machine. Tour and a team of postgraduate and postdoctoral researchers constructed a car with chassis, working suspension, wheels and a motor. 'You shine light on it and the motor spins in one direction and pushes the car like a paddle wheel on the surface,' Tour said. The team also built a truck that can carry a payload."

24 of 175 comments (clear)

  1. Does this mean by Ethanol-fueled · · Score: 4, Funny

    The researchers will be asking for a bailout instead of a grant?

    1. Re:Does this mean by steelfood · · Score: 3, Funny

      And they'll get one proportional to the size of their cars.

      --
      "If a nation expects to be ignorant and free in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be."
    2. Re:Does this mean by sentientbeing · · Score: 5, Funny

      Ah nanotechnology. The next big thing.

      --

      ------
      beware he who would deny you access to information, for in his mind he dreams himself your master
    3. Re:Does this mean by bishiraver · · Score: 2, Funny

      *gruff voice*
      Ahhhh, here's yer problem here. Ya need to have yer polarity shifted on the rear axle, an' ya need to re-balance the valancies on yer break lights. Winter's comin' so if ya wanna be safe, ya better recharge the van duh wall forces in yer tires jus to be safe!

      That'll be $65,535!

    4. Re:Does this mean by kaizokuace · · Score: 2, Funny

      It means that the tubes will actually have dump trucks.

      --
      Balderdash!
  2. I still don't think it's better than wrestling by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Bubba tells me these Nanonascar stuff is better than wrestling, but I just bodyslam him and tell him he's wrong.

  3. No Cup Holders? by vjmurphy · · Score: 4, Funny

    No cup holders? Worthless. Even Nanites need somewhere to put their Nano-Dr Pepper.

    --
    Vincent J. Murphy
    Spandex Justice
    1. Re:No Cup Holders? by flyingsquid · · Score: 4, Funny

      Or maybe a little pair of buckyballs to hang off the trailer hitch.

    2. Re:No Cup Holders? by internetcommie · · Score: 5, Funny

      I don't really think anybody wants to show off the fact that they have nano-nuts...

  4. Re:Missing tags.... by rbrausse · · Score: 4, Funny

    sorry - too little, too late :)

  5. Oh hell no!! by LiquidCoooled · · Score: 5, Funny

    Oh hell no, please.

    My wife has enough trouble finding the regular sized car when she has been shopping.

    How the hell will she find a nano-car?

    --
    liqbase :: faster than paper
    1. Re:Oh hell no!! by SirGarlon · · Score: 3, Funny

      Look on the bright side: it's easy to park. :-)

      --
      [Sir Garlon] is the marvellest knight that is now living, for he destroyeth many good knights, for he goeth invisible.
    2. Re:Oh hell no!! by Al+Al+Cool+J · · Score: 2, Funny

      Easy to park, sure. But try finding it afterwards in a busy shopping mall parking lot!

  6. Finally... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    THE car for the man with an incredibly long penis.

  7. To put that in layman's terms... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    4 nanometers is 1/3,657,600,000 of a Volkswagen.

  8. particle man's car? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    Does the car get gas, or does the gas get it?

  9. Re:Hate to be gloomy but... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Nano airplanes crashing into nano Trade Centers!

  10. Meh... by imrec · · Score: 2, Funny

    Call me when someone finds a way to mount 22" rims on it.

    --
    Note: This sig contains nine S's, nine I's and five O's which... means absolutely nothing.
  11. Re:lots of small things working together by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    and redundancy leads to layoffs. :-(

  12. Re:lots of small things working together by jav1231 · · Score: 3, Funny

    Lots of small things working together also creates redundancy.

    Let's just hope this redundancy produces a single sky scraper as opposed to 50+ distro's and a dozen or more winmanagers! :p

  13. Found a picture by blue+l0g1c · · Score: 4, Funny

    Here it is --> .
    (couldn't help myself)

    1. Re:Found a picture by Tolkien · · Score: 2, Funny

      Here it is --> .

      (couldn't help myself)

      Pff that's not actual size, that's like displaying an enhanced 4 foot poster of a fly. ... :)

      --
      how is babby formed?
  14. Comment removed by account_deleted · · Score: 2, Funny

    Comment removed based on user account deletion

  15. YAWN! Wake me when someone builds... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    an army of hair-cutting and bathing nanobots and sics them on RMS. Then post the video on YouTube.