GlesgaKiss

Is anyone here interested in this and maybe read about it, or even any people here who've done science degrees with opinions about it? I read an article about it a while ago and was quite fascinating, if a little bit sci-fi.

It was basically saying that molecular nanotechnology would allow us to create materials - through the rearranging of their molecular make-up - that would be much stronger, much lighter, and require less natural resources. It also went on to talk about how machines and factories would be built on a nanometre scale that could essentially build stuff from the bottom up very easily, quickly and cheaply. Some of the stuff I've read on the net about it seems to suggest that it would totally put an end to scarcity of material goods in much the same sense as the internet put an end to scarcity of information.

I'm obviously not a scientist and can only read this stuff with interest, but is this kind of thing even likely to happen? Plenty of people seem to think it will at some point in the next century going by current trends in the progress of technology. Quite a few physicists talking about it seriously would make you think it isn't beyond the realms of fantasy?

Here's a net article on MNT - http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-mole...technology.htm

Mind boggling stuff.

what would scooby do

It'll only be successful and cheap if it can be applied to the **** industry.


100% FACT!

David Lock

Yes it's a fascinating concept but one that scrambles your brain - well it does mine anyway

But with the speed of technology these days I think it may be closer than you think 20 -30 years away?

I will wait for "Nanotechnology for Beginners" before making any further comment.

dl

greenonedave

Thats what 7 of 9 is good at

hux309

It's already happening, take carbon nanofiber, it's around 30% stronger and lighter than regular cf because it's a perfect sphere on the atomic level.

So anyway yes it's quite interesting stuff, batteries are on the way based on the stuff and will knock current li-polymer batteries out of the water.

Nimbus

Tea, Earl Grey, hot...

Terminator X

iTrader: (7)

Can't be far away as we're already "printing" stuff in 3D:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u7h09dTVkdw

TX.

chris-boris

iTrader: (7)

As previously stated by hux309, its already happening. Carbon nano-tubes are already being made and tests have shown that, for the first time ever, we have been able to manufacture a material that is stronger than spiders silk size for size.

At the present rate of technological advancement it shouldn't be too long before we are able to make things on the scale you mention above however, personally I cant see machines and factories shrinking down in size for quite some time yet - remember things always start off massive then shrink in size gradually over time. With that in mind, the machines needed to make the carbon nano-tubes currently are quite large but will get smaller in similar fashion to how the first computer was the size of a large room and now we all walk around with them in our pockets

rabbos

Carbon nano tubes are naturally present in coal/graphite, but need to be filtered out... as for assembling them, it might be a bit tedious. They have loads of uses, and will probably form the basis of the next generation of computer processors at the very least.

bigsinky

**** me alan you are one boring scotch bastid. have you no games to play, porno to watch, shares to sell, gold to polish?

SJ_Skyline

Read Prey by Michael Crichton.



Lots of talk singing the praises and potential application for of carbon nanotubes. Jury's still out however on any Asbestos-like effects on lungs.

Carlh

Agree, nano stuff is still way off, 30 years+ but we need to crack quantum physics before we can get molecules re-arranging themselves (on the fly via software).

Imagine having a nano-sofa that with a push of a button, changes into a leather sofa.....

Then we're talking stuff of star-trek with transporters and food replicators and such. We'll probably be a muslim nation before then and the Qur-an will be imprinted on our towel wrapped heads.

GlesgaKiss

@ Sinky

You're just uptight because the nanorobots will steal your tarmacing job. This is the kind of stuff I end up looking at when I've got nothing to do!

I do agree though, it may be a tad boring. Here's a pic to help balance it out.



She likes molecular nanotechnology.

GlesgaKiss

Yeah I was aware that some stuff like those tubes were being made at the nanometre scale, but I was really thinking more about stuff like machinery at that scale that could build things from the bottom up and replicate itself, etc. Pretty much like Carlh is talking about. I guess from what some of you are saying that is quite far away yet!

GlesgaKiss

Interesting. I've seen some other stuff on similar issues too, like the singularity - with superhuman intelligence. A lot of the worry seems to be around what effects it will have on the global economy, with companies that produce and manufacture natural resources suddenly being essentially useless. Then you've got the fact that Joe Bloggs might wake up one morning and decide he wants to make a highway to Australia from the UK. Obviously if more than one person starts doing this there could be problems.

Leslie

I thought that most molecules are pretty small anyway, so was wondering about the need for the Nano bit.

It must be theoretically possible to rearrange molecular make up, they were always going on about a stone to do it with all those years ago!

Wonder how it would change the world if they ever succeed.

Les

StickyMicky

Our groups ex MD apparently now works in this field.

We launched a new "NanoWax" system early this year, to be honest, its probably a load of utter horse****, but the product we now use is vastly superior over the old one, so whatever they did to the formula made a big impact. Asking upper management about it results in a "just tell the customer its better"

Unfortunately the vast majority of joe public have not got a flying clue what "nano" tech is all about, so it is completely wasted on them, although one bloke did ask if it would make his car change colour a bit like the new Knight Rider

IMHO the whole nano thing will become HUGE (pun) just wait until the little nano robots are flying around your blood stream fixing disease.

GlesgaKiss

Micky - I've got nano-tech wax wash stuff too... never thought about it actually. Possibly just marketing but you never know, there may be little nano bots in there with their sponges out!

The disease thing would obviously be one of the better uses for it... closely followed by the blow job machines.

StickyMicky

Ive seen some nano wax advertised, might be turtle wax?

This we use stuff is a wax that is sprayed on a car, bonds with the paintwork and allows the blowers to remove the water from the car after being washed.

A lot of people think the "dryers" in a car wash are heated, but they are not, its the wax that drys the car, the blowers just remove the excess water.

Had various different types of the years but this new stuff really is pretty damn good, i poured some neat into a bucket with some soap and sponged it all over my car, then sprayed it all with a jet wash, never ever seen water bead up that well before.

Home made nanowash-n-wax FTW!

You only get the good stuff at our place if you pay for the top two programs, and trying to convince the lower program users that its a better option almost never works

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Does'nt Nano means one Billionth of a milimeter. Thats a bit small.