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Scientists Create World's First 'Molecular Robot' Capable of Building Molecules (scienmag.com)
New submitter re385 shares a report from Science Magazine: Scientists at The University of Manchester have created the world's first "molecular robot" that is capable of performing basic tasks including building other molecules. The tiny robots, which are a millionth of a millimeter in size, can be programmed to move and build molecular cargo, using a tiny robotic arm. Each individual robot is capable of manipulating a single molecule and is made up of just 150 carbon, hydrogen, oxygen and nitrogen atoms. To put that size into context, a billion billion of these robots piled on top of each other would still only be the same size as a single grain of salt. The robots operate by carrying out chemical reactions in special solutions which can then be controlled and programmed by scientists to perform the basic tasks. In the future such robots could be used for medical purposes, advanced manufacturing processes and even building molecular factories and assembly lines. The research will be published in Nature on Thursday 21st September. "All matter is made up of atoms and these are the basic building blocks that form molecules," explains Professor David Leigh, who led the research at University's School of Chemistry. "Our robot is literally a molecular robot constructed of atoms just like you can build a very simple robot out of Lego bricks. The robot then responds to a series of simple commands that are programmed with chemical inputs by a scientist. It is similar to the way robots are used on a car assembly line. Those robots pick up a panel and position it so that it can be riveted in the correct way to build the bodywork of a car. So, just like the robot in the factory, our molecular version can be programmed to position and rivet components in different ways to build different products, just on a much smaller scale at a molecular level."
watch us, we are coming.
World turned into "Gray Goo" in 3....2.....1
http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v549/n7672/full/nature23677.html
"millionth of a millimeter in size" = 10^-9 m (diameter of the machine)
" billion billion of these robots piled on top of each other" = 10^-9 x 10^9 x 10^9 = 10^9 m (size of a grain of salt according to the article).
Or alternatively, as UK defines "billion" according to the long scale, the grain of salt is 10^-9 x 10^12 x 10^12 = 10^15 m in diameter.
We will build. We will become more, and many.
Bobiverse begins.
) Human Kind Vs Human Creation
) It'd be interesting to see how many humans would survive to serve us.
If so we will finally have self-replicating robots and all that they entail...
When these become self-assured we're all screwed!
... you pass butter. ...
OMG
The fact that nobody has mentioned his name yet shows how young and ignorant Slashdotters are...
medical, material sciences are nice. but this sounds like a great form of weapon.
Millionth of a millimeter = one nanonometer. I don't think so. One micrometer would be a believable scale. Hard to take anything else in the article seriously with that gaffe.
When all you have is a hammer, every problem starts to look like a thumb.
How much molecular acid did they use?
Home of The Suki Series
I've been waiting 30 years for actual nanotechnology to get started. No, really fine powders is not nanotechnology, folks.
Now can we get started on life extension or are we doomed to our fragile evolved shells?
Greet our new nano robotic overlords who can control my chemical structure and affect how and what I think about and are not in any way force me to say what I say now.
This is huge! Yet so incredibly small...
I would be far more concerned about the implications of this technology especially if used for terrorism than climate change or overpopulation. We could do ourselves in very quickly with this sort of thing.
We'll make great pets
So from what I can gather, they seem to be talking about something that behaves like a flexible protein that they can control from outside the solution. I would be curious to see how "general use" their devices are, I would assume they'd be relatively specific to the reaction.
Removing cholesterol from one's arteries? And those damn Stents that are NOT bio-degradable.
I'm supposed to believe that a fully programmable robot can be created out of just 150 *basic* parts? Whatever this is, I would not call it a robot.
When nanotech was discussed back in the 80s, there was a general feeling that developments such as this one were just a few decades off.
Now that we've officially entered a grey goo scenario, I think I'm going to sign up with SpaceX to help colonize Mars. Anyone with me?
Gentlemen this means the Extinction of all Ethanol on Earth!
This is not even the first artificial enzyme.
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Sorry, I'm only a 1336 h4x0r.
It sounds more like a catalyst.
Resistance is futile.