A Nanomechanical Computer

In an article from The Institute of Psysics:

A nanomechanical computer—exploring new avenues of computing

Here is the abstract:
We propose a fully mechanical computer based on nano-electromechanical elements. Our aim is to combine this classical approach with modern nanotechnology to build a nanomechanical computer (NMC) based on nanomechanical transistors. The main motivation behind constructing such a computer [...]

A Ballet of Molecular Machines

Via the Biosingularity Blog …

Video of RNAi in action

This superb video from Youtube explains the RNA interference mechanism that recently won the Nobel prize for its discovery. The original video is from the journal Nature.
RNA interference is a complex set of Cellular processes that converts a foreign piece of double-stranded RNA into a potent gene [...]

Remotely Activated Nanoparticles Destroy Cancer

Targeted nanotech-based treatments will enter clinical trials in 2007.

The first in a new generation of nanotechnology-based cancer treatments will likely begin clinical trials in 2007, and if the promise of animal trials carries through to human trials, these treatments will transform cancer therapy. By replacing surgery and conventional chemotherapy with noninvasive treatments targeted at cancerous [...]

Nanomaterials Produce Flexible Three - Dimensional Electronics

Nanomaterials Produce Heterogeneous Three- Dimensional Electronics

Researchers at the Frederick Seitz Materials Research Laboratory of the University of Illinois have developed a new, experimentally simple approach for combining broad classes of dissimilar electronic materials into heterogeneously integrated systems with two or three dimensional layouts on rigid or flexible substrates. The materials and techniques, published in the [...]

Are you ready for a cell phone implant?

Check out this fun bit of speculation form the St. Petersburg Times Floridian Website…

In-your-face interface
Wrap your head around this: As technology gets smaller, faster, more futuristic, imagine yourself connected to a device that doesn’t just lamely hang on your ear but invades your skull. Not yet. Soon.

“We’re going to wind up in essence with ‘intelligent [...]

Nanotech Assembler Illustration Video

We hear a lot of talk about nanotech, and nano-assembly. Here is a fascinating video that provides a good illustration of nanotech and nano-manufacturing concepts.

Nano Lube Could Make Ultra-Dense Memory Possible

A new way to reduce friction at the nanoscale could enable the commercialization of nano mechanical devices, including ones for data storage.
Researchers have helped to smooth the way for memory chips that are 10 to 100 times denser than today’s devices, by developing a way to cut down on friction at the nanoscale.
The method [...]

Bacterial Nanowires

When Yuri Gorby discovered that a microbe which transforms toxic metals can sprout tiny electrically conductive wires from its cell membrane, he reasoned this anatomical oddity and its metal-changing physiology must be related. Bacteria will, under particular environmental conditions sprout nanowires that can shuttle electricity to other cells.
read more | digg story
Read it all…

Generate More Than Enough Hydrogen With NanoTech

Nano World: Stabilizing explosive elements
Capsules only nanometers or billionths of a meter wide that stabilize extremely dangerous compounds normally prone to igniting or exploding can safely generate more than enough hydrogen gas to beat U.S. Department of Energy goals for hydrogen production for 2015 just by dropping them in water.
read more | digg story

Designing a brain with the help of nanodots

Self-organizing networks of brain cells have been created by researchers at Tel Aviv University using clustered nanotube dots.

The technique could allow the development of sophisticated biological sensors that use functioning brain cells, according to report at newscientisttech. This type of device would identify a compound - a deadly nerve agent or poison, for example - [...]

Nanowire Transistors Four Times Faster than Silicon

“Advances in nanowires show they can be fast enough to use as ultrasmall transistors in cheap, high-performance electronics. Researchers at Harvard University have shown that nanowire transistors can be at least four times speedier than conventional silicon devices.”
Moore’s Law? Still safe!
read more | digg story

Ray Kurzweil Answers Questions About Artificial Intelligence.

Artificial Intelligence
When Humans Transcend Biology
Inventor and futurist Ray Kurzweil was online Monday, June 19 at 2 p.m. ET to answer your questions about Artificial Intelligence.
In his latest book, “The Singularity Is Near,” he examines the next step of the evolutionary process: the union of human and machine, in which knowledge and skills embedded in our [...]

Flexible full-body “liquid armor”

Pictures & Video: Flexible full-body “liquid armor”

Scanning electron microscope image of the silica nanoparticles used in liquid armor.
A new “liquid armor” could be the solution for protecting the parts of the body that aren’t currently covered by standard-issue ballistic vests such as arms and legs, where many of these devastating and life-threatening injuries occur.
read more | digg [...]

Biosingularity Blog on WordPress

New on the PoliTech Reading List
eneve at the Travelling Through The Wire Blog has this entry:
‘Biosingularity’ Blog Launched
Derya Unutmaz, M.D. has started the Biosingularity blog, covering advances in biological systems and inspired by KurzweilAI.net and Ray Kurzweil’s singularity ideas, says Dr. Unutmaz, who is Associate Professor of Microbiology and Immunology at Vanderbilt University School [...]

Magic Nano Has No Nano!

Why can’t the MSM understand this point? Check out this “News” from the Los Angeles Times. That article was again reprinted verbatim by the Arkansas Gazette yesterday.
The story just won’t die!
The author hyperventilates over something that was a non issue from the beginning. Even though he acknowledges that the initial report about Magic [...]

Timely Commentary by Ray Kurzweil

Golden era of nanotechnology: a post-evolutionary world
Trends hint at a golden era of nanotechnology
Innovations like robotic blood cells portend a “golden era” of nanotechnology
By Ray Kurzweil
(May 11, 2006)
BEAUTIFUL MINDS: By 2029, scientists will understand how human intelligence works.
(Source: Dr. Abdon Guerra F/Flickr)
It turns out that information technology is increasingly encompassing everything of [...]

Best Nano picture blog

I’m blogrolling Nanotech | Buzz because they have some of the best pictures to go along with the articles. Whoever edits the page has a very good eye and always seems to find corresponding high quality images from sometimes obscure sources.

You would do her … admit it!
And Nanotech | Buzz has some good posts too [...]

Nanotech, More Fear Mongering

Believe it or not, at one time scientific advancement was seen as a POSITIVE thing.

Industry urged to be open about nano testing
Scientists urged industry on Thursday to disclose how it conducts safety tests for products containing nanoparticles.
The Royal Society, an academy of leading scientists, said a new inventory shows that 200 consumer products such [...]

Orderly Nanofibers

This is admirable, take a 72 year old methodology and with it create something that is on the very bleeding edge of the technology world.
Nanofibers Created In Orderly Fashion
For 72 years, scientists have been able to use electric fields to spin polymers into tiny fibers. But there’s been just one problem: Like worms that won’t [...]

Motorized nanocars!

Rice scientists attach motor to single-molecule car

Two motorized nanocars on a gold surface. The nanocar consists of a rigid chassis and four alkyne axles that spin freely and swivel independently of one another….

The car’s light-powered motor is attached mid-chassis. When struck by light, it rotates in one direction, pushing the car along like a paddlewheel.

More Machine & Life Convergence

One technology that has been slow to evolve, when comapired to the rest of the electronics industry, is energy storage (batteries). So any news indicating even incremental inprovement to the current state of the art is really important. This news is a big big deal!
Ultra-small batteries powered by viruses
Researchers at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) [...]

IBM scientists tout tool to possibly build atom-size computers

This has interesting possibilities. I wonder where this fits in with Quantum computing?

IBM scientists tout tool to possibly build atom-size computers
Scientists at an IBM research center in Silicon Valley have created a magnetism-manipulating tool suited to building molecular computers, the company revealed.
The development was touted as a step toward making computers based on the [...]

Carbon nanotube chip functions without supercooling!

IBM devises carbon nanotube chip
This is the Test Circuit:

A photograph of the ring oscillator used to test the performance of a single nanotube. Note the nanotube protuding from the circuit in the inset, upper right. The entire circuit is several times smaller than the thickness of a human hair. (Source: IBM)
EETimes reports:
IBM Corp. claims to [...]

Cyborg Insect Soldiers in the Future?

Insect ‘cybug’ plan hatched

US defence researchers are all abuzz about the possibilities of recruiting an insect army capable of being controlled remotely to perform military operations.
The Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has already envisaged a wide range of users for such an army of “cybugs”, but is seeking outside expertise to help it overcome [...]

Three stories, One trend.

DNA Art: Origami Goes Nano
The software of life has now been woven into smiley faces, snowflakes and stars.
Caltech researcher Paul Rothemund calls his new technique “DNA origami,” and he can weave any two-dimensional shape or pattern using DNA molecules. The technology could one day be used to construct tiny chemical factories or molecular electronics [...]