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IBM Creates World's Smallest 3-D Map
schliz writes "IBM scientists have created the smallest 3-D map of the earth, so small that 1,000 maps could fit on a grain of salt (YouTube video from IBM). The 500K-pixel map was created in 2 minutes 23 seconds. Using a tiny, heated silicon tip, the technique reached a resolution of 15nm — comparable to the 10nm achievable by the more complex electron beam lithography. The researchers believe that smaller resolutions are feasible. Potential applications range from fast prototyping for CMOS nanoelectronics to fabricating shape-matching templates for self-assembling nano-rods or nano-tubes, IBM says. The researchers also produced a billion-to-one scale model of the Matterhorn." This is very much a laboratory technique at the moment, at least five years from commercial use.
>> at least 5 years from commercial use.
http://xkcd.com/678/
That's going to be a PITA to fold.
No Street View == FAIL.
Chelloveck
I give up on debugging. From now on, SIGSEGV is a feature.
Ah miniature maps. The next big thing.
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beware he who would deny you access to information, for in his mind he dreams himself your master
I'll believe it when I see it.
for Ants!?
it needs to be at least 3 times bigger than this.
Professor Slartibartfast is particularly proud of his glacier work with this model.
Steven Wright has claimed that he has a 1:1 map of the United States. He keeps it spread out across the country because it's a bitch to fold.
Why would you climb a billion-to-one scale model of the Matterhorn?
Because it's barely there.
Oh, say does that Star-Spangled Banner entwine / The myrtle of Venus with Bacchus's vine?