Very Tiny Motor: Nano-level

Daeron Meyer writes " ABCNews is carrying the story of the Boston College prof who took four years but just 78 atoms to create a tiny motor. The current problem is that the wheel get stuck after rotating 120 degrees. So, not much use yet, but it's a step."

Comments

But there *is* a theoretical limit

[Just Some Guy]

These things are really cool, but they violate Strauser's Law. That is, they're smaller than a duct-tape molecule, and therefore not usable on a mass scale.

...for animals as well (but impractical)

[chialea]

it's not just us who can be used for batteries -- any eukariotic animal that engages in phosphoralation (sp?) is a source of energy. however, using the human/animal as a battery is rediculous on a large basis (think Matrix here). every time you run through a level of the food chain, you lose a LOT of energy. it would be FAR more efficient to just have mitochondria supported -- not an entire organism. if that was impractical, then cells -- any cells, just about -- could be used far more efficently than an entire organism, who uses energy for transport/growing hair/living. (Matrix always bothered me -- I loved the movie, but the premise is completely impractical. if you suck the electricity out of the brain, then the brain can't DO anything. you die. you can't be in "the Matrix" anyways)

however, the nanites could refuel from your cells if they were in there for something else. convenient food source :) personally, I'd be more than willing to have nanites running around and using a bit of my ATP while they destroyed a cancer or something similarly threatening.

Lea