Nanotechnology

 
 
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    ScienceDaily: Nanotechnology

  • Detecting cancer early

    9 Feb 2010 | 11:00 am
    A new testing method is being developed to detect cancer soon after the tumor has formed. It will identify characteristic substances in the blood which accompany a certain type of tumor. The first steps in the development have already been completed.

  • Perfectly shaped solid components

    7 Feb 2010 | 9:00 pm
    When metals are shaped, the materials they are made of are often damaged in the process. One cause of this is excessive press force, which cracks and perforates the material. By running simulations on a PC, research scientists can now calculate how to avoid component defects.

  • Sunny Record: Breakthrough for Hybrid Solar Cells

    7 Feb 2010 | 2:00 am
    Scientists in Germany have succeeded in developing a method for treating the surface of nanoparticles which greatly improves the efficiency of organic solar cells. The researchers were able to attain an efficiency of 2 percent by using so-called quantum dots composed of cadmium selenide. These measurements, well above the previous efficiency ratings of 1 to 1.8 percent, were confirmed.

  • Scientists demonstrate world's fastest graphene transistor; holds promise for improving performance of transistors

    7 Feb 2010 | 2:00 am
    IBM researchers have demonstrated a radio-frequency graphene transistor with the highest cut-off frequency achieved so far for any graphene device -- 100 billion cycles/second (100 GigaHertz). The high frequency record was achieved using wafer-scale, epitaxially grown graphene using processing technology compatible to that used in advanced silicon device fabrication.

  • Super material will make lighting cheaper and fully recyclable

    6 Feb 2010 | 2:00 am
    With the use of the new super material graphene, Swedish and American researchers have succeeded in producing a new type of lighting component. It is inexpensive to produce and can be fully recycled.
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    PhysOrg.com

  • Exposure to secondhand smoke among children in England has declined since 1996

    9 Feb 2010 | 11:20 am
    The most comprehensive study to date of secondhand smoke exposure among children in England is published today in the journal Addiction. The study, carried out by researchers from the University of Bath's School for Health, reveals that exposure to household secondhand smoke among children aged 4-15 has declined steadily since 1996.

  • Breakthrough for mobile television

    9 Feb 2010 | 11:20 am
    Long Term Evolution, the new mobile telecommunications standard, will revolutionize mobile Internet. High transmission rates will soon be possible on mobile devices. For this purpose Fraunhofer researchers at HHI Berlin, Germany, developed the cross-layer design SVC over LTE -- a coding method that offers HD films in real-time in the appropriate format for cell phones or netbooks. The experts are presenting their solution in a live demonstration at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain.

  • Leaf veins inspire a new model for distribution networks (w/ Video)

    9 Feb 2010 | 11:18 am
    (PhysOrg.com) -- Following the straight and narrow may be good moral advice, but it`s not a great design principle for a distribution network. In new research, a team of biophysicists describe a complex netting of interconnected looping veins that evolution devised to distribute water in leaves. The work, which bucks decades of thinking, may compel engineers to revisit some common assumptions that have informed the building of many human-built distribution networks.

  • 'Counterfactual' thinkers are more motivated and analytical, study suggests

    9 Feb 2010 | 11:13 am
    (PhysOrg.com) -- "If only I had..." Almost everyone has said those four words at some time. Rather than intensifying regret, '"what if" reflection about pivotal moments in the past helps people to weave a coherent life story, and fosters their organizational commitment, scholars say.

  • 'Revolutionary' water treatment units on their way to Afghanistan

    9 Feb 2010 | 11:10 am
    The United States Army has taken delivery of the first two units of a "revolutionary" waste-water treatment system that will clean putrid water within 24 hours and leave no toxic by-products, according to scientists at Sam Houston State University.
 
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    Foresight.org

  • Natural Language Understanding

    J. Storrs Hall
    9 Feb 2010 | 12:55 am
    “It was a true solar-plexus blow, and completely knocked out, Perkins staggered back against the instrument-board. His outflung arm pushed the power-lever out to its last notch, throwing full current through the bar, which was pointed straight up as it had been when they made their landing.” My current research in AI, such as it is, is an attempt to build a system that’s capable of understanding the above quote. It’s from the middle of a book, and it is much much harder to understand, fully, than you might think. What I intend to do here is to unravel the process by which…

  • Graphene transistor roundup

    J. Storrs Hall
    8 Feb 2010 | 8:18 am
    Phaedon Avouris, winner of the Feynman Prize in 1999, is head of the nanoscale science and technology group At IBM, which has recently reported significant advances in synthesizing transistors from graphene using conventional lithography methods. IBM Demonstrates Graphene Transistor Twice as Fast as Silicon Graphene transistors promise 100GHz speeds Graphene Transistors that Can Work at Blistering Speeds Big Blue demos 100GHz chip Nanoclast interviews Avouris and the Science paper, 100-GHz Transistors from Wafer-Scale Epitaxial Graphene What does this all mean?  Basically, they have overcome…

  • The first AI blog

    J. Storrs Hall
    5 Feb 2010 | 5:32 am
    The first AI blog was written by a major, highly respected figure in the field. It consisted, as a blog should, of a series of short essays on various subjects relating to the central topic. It appeared in the mid-80s, just as the ARPAnet was transforming over into the internet. The only little thing I forgot to mention was that it didn’t actually appear in blog form, which of course hadn’t been invented. The WWW didn’t appear until the next decade. It appeared in book form, albeit a somewhat unusual one since it was, as mentioned, a series of short essays, one to a page. It…

  • Analogical Quadrature

    J. Storrs Hall
    4 Feb 2010 | 8:58 am
    So far, in making my case that AI is (a) possible and (b) likely in the next decade or two, I’ve focused on techniques which are or easily could be part of a generally intelligent system, and which will clearly be enhanced by the two orders of magnitude increase in processing power we expect from Moore’s Law by 2020.  (Note — we certainly don’t have to wait till 2020 to find out.  Existing hardware is well into the usable range, probably for less than $1M.  But you don’t get too many researchers, and no hobbyists, doing their research on machines like that…

  • Associative memories

    J. Storrs Hall
    3 Feb 2010 | 6:25 am
    AI researchers in the 80s ran into a problem: the more their systems knew, the slower they ran.  Whereas we know that people who learn more tend to get faster (and better in other ways) at whatever it is they’re doing. The solution, of course, is: Duh. the brain doesn’t work like a von Neumann model with an active processor and passive memory.  It has, in a simplified sense, a processor per fact, one per memory.  If I hold up an object and ask you what it is, you don’t calculate some canonicalization of it as a key into an indexed database. You compare it simultaneously…
 
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    Nanite News

  • Physicists kill cancer with 'nanobubbles'

    8 Feb 2010 | 11:00 pm
    Scientists at Rice University have discovered a way to use lasers and nanoparticles to identify and treat individual diseased cells with tiny vapor "nanobubbles." In research published in the journal Nanotechnology, the scientists described how to use the method to explode nanobubbles and kill cancer cells. In laboratory tests, they showed they could tune these nanobubbles for "theranostics," a combined approach that melds diagnosis and treatment into a single procedure.

  • Nano imagining takes turn for the better

    5 Feb 2010 | 11:00 pm
    Stephan Link wants to understand how nanomaterials align, and his lab's latest work is a step in the right direction. Link's Rice University group has found a way to use gold nanorods as orientation sensors by combining their plasmonic properties with polarization imaging techniques.

  • Nano for the senses

    4 Feb 2010 | 11:00 pm
    Pin-sharp projections, light that's whiter than white, varnishes that make sounds if the temperature changes: at nano tech 2010 in Tokyo, Fraunhofer researchers present nanotechnology that is a veritable feast for the senses.

  • Magnetic nanoparticles show promise for combating human cancer

    3 Feb 2010 | 11:00 pm
    Scientists at Georgia Tech and the Ovarian Cancer Institute have further developed a potential new treatment against cancer that uses magnetic nanoparticles to attach to cancer cells, removing them from the body. The treatment, tested in mice in 2008, has now been tested using samples from human cancer patients.

  • Summit examines vast applications of nanomedicine

    2 Feb 2010 | 11:00 pm
    SNM's Nanomedicine and Molecular Imaging Summit brings together academic, government and industry experts from across a spectrum of disciplines to explore a topic that may have great application for diagnosing and treating disease in the future.
 
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    Nanovip.com

  • Dakota County Technical College Integrating NanoProfessor Nanoscience Education Program

    nanodan
    9 Feb 2010 | 7:12 am
    Dakota County Technical College will be integrating  state of the art nanotech equipment as well as a brand new nanotechnology curriculum.  A brand new NanoProfessor Education program is well underway at the community college located in Rosemount Minnesota.  Upon completion, interested students will be able to enroll at the Dakota County Technical College to study nanotechnology. The program will offer hands on experience vital for achieving a career in the competitive field of nanotechnology.  The Dakota County Technical College in Minnesota offers two year Associate degrees in…

  • India: 20 Years Behind in Terms of Nanotech Advancements

    nanodan
    9 Feb 2010 | 6:53 am
    A recent study conducted by the Indian Institute of Science finds that Indian is roughly 20 years behind when it comes to nanotechnology innovations and research.  Nanotechnology is a field of study that involves the manipulation of matter on a molecular or atomic level and the field is limited to academia in India; very little nanotechnology is actually put to use in India. According to the study, India may be too far behind in terms of nanotechnology advancements and may miss out on the chance to become one of the world’s leading countries in nanotechnology discoveries.  As of new, the…

  • Battling Cancer with Nanotechnologies

    nanodan
    9 Feb 2010 | 6:26 am
    In the March issue of Mechanical Engineering in an article entitled “Infernal Mechanism,” Mauro Ferrari, PhD writes of a nanotechnology based agents that can exploit cancer and its mechanical properties.  This method for fighting cancer will allow doctors to treat cancer in its various forms locally. Ferrari works at the University of Texas Health Science Center; he is the chairman and professor of the Department of Nanomedicine and Biomedical Engineering.  Ferrari explains that engineered nanoparticles can be used as therapeutic agents which can be used to deliver cancer defensive…

  • Saudi Arabia Distributor Places Large Order with Industrial Nanotech Inc. For Nansulate Energy Saving Coatings

    nanodan
    9 Feb 2010 | 6:07 am
    Industrial Nanotech Inc. Recently announced that they have received a very large order for Nasulate(R) energy saving coatings from Saudi Environmental Projects Ltd.; the order follows a former order initially placed in 2009 to help the company introduce Nansulate(R) to the market.  This past week Saudi Environmental Projects Ltd. Orders more than 1400 gallons of the thermal insulation crafted with nanotechnology.  The value of the entire order for the asset protection coating and nanotech insulation is more than $13.5 million USD. Industrial Nanotech Inc had appointed Saudi Environmental…

  • Institute heralds $50M gift

    admin
    8 Feb 2010 | 3:12 am
    In another sign of the changing ways that medical research gets funded, the partner institute in the University of California, Santa Barbara’s Center for Nanomedicine received a $50 million gift from a philanthropist Jan. 26. South Dakota billionaire Denny Sanford gave $50 million to the La Jolla-based Burnham Institute, the partner organization in the UCSB-Burnham Center for Nanomedicine established last year. The name will change to the Sanford-Burnham Institute. Biomedical researcher Jamey Marth, the director of the joint center at UCSB, said the details of the gift’s impact on Santa…
 
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    Nanotechnology Development Blog

  • Rice University to organize a technical symposium on Nanotechnology

    lmpandey
    9 Feb 2010 | 12:46 am
    Rice University is set to organize the Carbon Nanotechnology technical symposium during October 11-13 on the occasion of 25th anniversary of nanotechnology. Many other events are also likely to be held during the year. Buckminsterfullerene later known as fullerene was the first molecule that was discovered 25 years ago and since then there is a continual [...]

  • Nanotechnology can play a vital role in fighting cancer

    lmpandey
    6 Feb 2010 | 6:30 am
    Nanotechnology can play a vital role in fighting cancer is a reality now and many experts of the area nanomedicine and nanotechnology foresee tremendous scope of nanotechnology in many more areas covering wide range of health and medicine in future. One of the key property of nanotech based therapeutic agents is that these complex nanostructures [...]

  • White light produced by researchers at Fraunhofer Institute

    lmpandey
    2 Feb 2010 | 10:23 pm
    Production of white light was a challenge for a long time and researchers all around the globe were looking for some alternate options. The conventional methods for producing white light also accompany with some defects known as peripheral color affects and now researchers led by Dr. Michael Popall of Fraunhofer Institute for Silicate Research in [...]

  • Semprius Inc. get DOE subcontract for scaling solar energy technology

    lmpandey
    22 Jan 2010 | 1:41 am
    Semprius Inc. have patented micro transfer printing technology, which is one of the state of the art process that is used for depositing high performance semiconductors on a number of substrates. The company also license the technology for other advanced applications including LCD and OELD displays. NREL has recently short listed Semprius for $3 million subcontract [...]

  • New novel lipid nanoparticles for RNAi Therapeutics

    lmpandey
    19 Jan 2010 | 7:20 am
    Researchers from various organizations and universities including The University of British Columbia (UBC), Alnylam, Tekmira Pharmaceuticals and Alcana Technologies have recently come out with a publication in the journal Nature Biotechnology, where they have claimed that the systematic approach in lipid nanoparticles can lead better delivery of RNAi Therapeutics. Researchers in their new paper, which was [...]
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    Nanotech Newscentre

  • Nanosys, LGIT Announce Partnership

    prabakaran
    31 Jan 2010 | 8:19 am
    Nanosys has announced an agreement with LG Innotek (LGIT) to use Nanosys' quantum dot phosphors in displays. "Nanosys' Quantum Rail technology is a solution ready for integration into backlight sub-assemblies without major tooling changes, making it our first choice for our next generation high color gamut displays," says LG Innotek vice president Charlie (Cheol-Kee) Hong. "[This] indicates we might actually see the release of nanotech-infused displays within the first half of this year as promised," writes Engadget's Vladislav Savov. "The early focus…

  • New novel lipid nanoparticles for RNAi Therapeutics

    prabakaran
    21 Jan 2010 | 5:44 am
    Researchers from various organizations and universities including The University of British Columbia (UBC), Alnylam, Tekmira Pharmaceuticals and Alcana Technologies have recently come out with a publication in the journal Nature Biotechnology, where they have claimed that the systematic approach in lipid nanoparticles can lead better delivery of RNAi Therapeutics. Researchers in their new paper, which was [...]

  • European collaboration makes breakthrough in developing super-material graphene

    prabakaran
    21 Jan 2010 | 5:44 am
    A collaborative research project has brought the world a step closer to producing a new material on which future nanotechnology could be based. Researchers across Europe, including the UK’s National Physical Laboratory (NPL), have demonstrated how an incredible material, graphene, could hold the key to the future of high-speed electronics, such as micro-chips and touchscreen technology.

  • New nanoparticles target cardiovascular disease

    prabakaran
    21 Jan 2010 | 5:44 am
    Researchers at MIT and Harvard Medical School have built targeted nanoparticles that can cling to artery walls and slowly release medicine, an advance that potentially provides an alternative to drug-releasing stents in some patients with cardiovascular disease.

  • New nanoparticles target cardiovascular disease

    prabakaran
    21 Jan 2010 | 5:43 am
    Researchers at MIT and Harvard Medical School have built targeted nanoparticles that can cling to artery walls and slowly release medicine, an advance that potentially provides an alternative to drug-releasing stents in some patients with cardiovascular disease.
 
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    Nanotechbuzz

  • NanoBio Patents Drug Tech

    2 Feb 2010 | 5:29 pm
    NanoBio Corp., based in Ann Arbor, Mich., has been awarded a patent for the technology behind its anti-infection and dermatology drugs. "We are very pleased with this patent award in that the new claims circumscribe all of NanoBio's anti-infective and dermatological products, as well as our intranasal and intramuscular vaccine adjuvants," says company CEO and founder James R. Baker, Jr., MD. "The patent, NanoBio's sixth, comes after the firm struck a multimillion-dollar licensing deal with United Kingdom-based pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline to license…

  • Nanosys, LGIT Announce Partnership

    23 Jan 2010 | 8:44 pm
    Nanosys has announced an agreement with LG Innotek (LGIT) to use Nanosys' quantum dot phosphors in displays. "Nanosys' Quantum Rail technology is a solution ready for integration into backlight sub-assemblies without major tooling changes, making it our first choice for our next generation high color gamut displays," says LG Innotek vice president Charlie (Cheol-Kee) Hong. "[This] indicates we might actually see the release of nanotech-infused displays within the first half of this year as promised," writes Engadget's Vladislav Savov. "The early focus…

  • Nanomaterials Improve LED Lighting

    17 Jan 2010 | 4:12 pm
    Nanosys has developed a way to make LED lighting look better by adding nanomaterials to blue LEDs. "Their efforts have created an LED light that combines the energy efficiency of a blue LED with a nanotechnology layer that alters its blue appearance into a warm white light that is better than standard LED lighting," writes Geek.com's Doug Osborne. "Furthermore, Nanosys' material could be utilized in a lot more than just light fixtures," writes Gizmodo's Sean Fallon. "Think about laptop and HDTV displays with better, brighter screens — ...

  • House of Lords Warns Against Nanofood Secrecy

    10 Jan 2010 | 2:50 pm
    © ell brown The Science & Technology Committee of the UK's House of Lords has warned the British food industry not to be secretive about use use of nanotechnology. "The Science and Technology Committee published a report on nanotechnology and food on Friday," notes ZDNet UK's Tom Espiner. "The committee said food companies should reveal the use of nanotechnology, which is used to improve the flavor and texture of food," writes TopNews' Sunil Kumar. "Nanotechnology also helps food companies in increasing the self life of their products." More here…

  • Artificial Artery Developed

    3 Jan 2010 | 1:40 am
    © Patrick J. Lynch Professor Alexander Seifalian of University College London has developed an articial artery using nanotechnology. "[The] new device is made from a polymer flexible enough to pulse like a normal blood vessel," according to ZeeNews. "Inside, it has a revolutionary coating of millions of tiny spikes, each thousands of times smaller than the width of a human hair." "Aside from holding back clots, using an artificial artery means heart patients would not have to undergo a second operation for doctors to obtain a vein to ...
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    The International NanoScience Community

  • Extended Abstract Deadline NANOSENS 2010 ++ 29-30 April 2010 ++ TechGate Vienna/Austria

    TINC
    Dear Madam, dear Sir! Please find enclosed once again the 1st Announcement of the International Conference NANOSENS 2010 – Nanosensors for Industrial Applications, which will be held on 29 – 30 April 2010 in Vienna, Austria. NANOSENS 2010highlights latest developments of Nanosensors, their applications, and their Heterogeneous Integration to 3D-Systems. NANOSENS 2010 is of great interest for industrial users as well as scientists and advanced students. Prospective authors are invited to submit abstracts in four selectedtopical fields: Heterogeneous Integration Nanosensors for Biomedical…

  • PUBLIC CONSULTATION => EU STRATEGIC NANOTECHNOLOGY ACTION PLAN (SNAP) 2010-2015

    TINC
    The Commission is considering a new Action Plan for Nanotechnology, addressing the technological and societal challenges of the next five years and strengthening the research and innovation efforts, with increased emphasis on sustainable development, competitiveness, health, safety and environmental issues. The objective of this public consultation is to invite views on the needs in nanotechnology in the next five years, as perceived by experts active in the field and by the public at large. How to submit your contribution: PLEASE GO TO:…

  • Welcome new partner of TINC Nanotech-data.com

    TINC
    Nanotech-data.com offers information about existing products, methods and demands. Manufacturers, dealers, consultants, educational institutions and research facilities are covered on basis of self-assessment of offers and needs. In this way, nanotech-data.com represents an efficient information platform for the different areas of nanotechnology. More information: http://www.nanotech-data.com/index.php

  • Maintenance Friday night, Feb. 5, at 10 p.m.

    TINC
    This upcoming Friday, Feb. 5, we’ll be doing some maintenance on the TINC beginning at 10 p.m. This maintenance window will require us to take a 2 hour downtime. We don’t like to take downtime very often, so when we do choose to do downtime maintenance, we want to make sure to get a lot of key things accomplished. In this maintenance period, we’ll be doing upgrades on hardware, key systems and databases, which are all vital to keeping TINC up and running in the future. The maintenance will start at 10 p.m. PDT and will last for 2 hours. During this time TINC Network will be offline and…

  • Sensors Expo

    TINC
    The International NanoScience Community is official media partner of Sensors Expo & Conference. Sensors Expo & Conference is the Only Industry Event in North America Exclusively Focused on Sensors and Sensor Integrated Systems, Providing 24 Years of Technical Innovation & Thought Leadership Attend the Leading Forum on Sensing Technologies & Solutions in North America! Whether you're looking to find the latest sensing solutions, evaluate emerging standards, find and compare suppliers, or solve new design challenges, you can't afford to miss Sensors Expo & Conference. Plan…
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    Nanoforum.org

  • French nanodebate targets ethics

    9 Feb 2010 | 4:31 am
    CNDP: From now on until the end at 23 February, the Commission organising the Public Debate on Nanotechnology in France wants to focus the discussion on ethical and governance issues.

  • Catholic view on Human Enhancement

    9 Feb 2010 | 1:18 am
    ObservatoryNano, COMECE: Recently, the Commission of European Bishops Conferences COMECE published an opinion by the Bioethics Reflection Group on the Perspectives on Human Enhancement by Technological Means (in French).

  • The Phantoms Foundation coordinates the Spain Pavilion at nano tech 2010 (Tokyo, Japan), the world‘s largest nanotechnology exhibition

    5 Feb 2010 | 4:44 am
    Phantoms Foundation: The world‘s largest annual nanotechnology exhibition covering the entire nano marketplace and creating a variety of business opportunities, nano tech 2010, will be held from February 17 to 19, 2010 at Tokyo Big Sight, (Tokyo, Japan). The ninth edition of this conference and exhibition is more international in scope than ever, expecting over 50,000 attendees and 600 exhibitors and 900 booths.

  • ‘Lab on a chip‘ that detects viruses developed by BYU researchers

    4 Feb 2010 | 3:04 am
    Brigham Young University: A team of Brigham Young University (BYU) engineers and chemists has created an inexpensive silicon microchip that reliably detects viruses, even at low concentrations.

  • ScotGrid and Lumerical Team up to Boost UK Nanophotonics Research

    4 Feb 2010 | 2:58 am
    Lumerical Solutions: Lumerical Solutions has donated FDTD Solutions Engine licenses to ScotGrid, one of the largest grid computing sites in the United Kingdom. The donated licenses will enable photonics researchers at academic institutions to perform large-scale simulations of devices such as silicon photonics components, solid-state light emitters, and thin-film solar cells.
 
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    Responsible Nanotechnology

  • Molecular Manufacturing vs. Self-Assembly

    Chris Phoenix
    27 Jan 2010 | 12:47 pm
    Why was I so excited about the FNANO10 conference on self-assembly, given that self-assembly is not molecular manufacturing? Self-assembly is a way of making large structures out of small pieces, by designing the pieces so that random ("Brownian") motion will jiggle them into place. DNA self-assembles very nicely into quite large structures - as big as 100 nanometers, almost bacteria-sized - almost big enough to see with an ordinary microscope. A problem with self-assembly is that the pieces have to use their own structure or other properties to template their assembly. That limits…

  • Basic Survival Package

    Chris Phoenix
    26 Jan 2010 | 10:25 am
    A few days ago, Tom Craver asked what, other than food, would I put on a list of basic life needs.Here's my initial list of manufactured things I'd like to see everyone on earth have access to: Clean water Weatherproof and burglar-resistant housing Light at night The Web and voice communication Mosquito nets with long-lasting insecticide Optional birth control Clean cookstoves and/or solar cookers Vaccines Many of these things are available today, at a cost where the world could afford to supply them to everyone... if we all got together and really tried. Some of these things are…

  • Nanostructures Conference - Don't Miss

    Chris Phoenix
    25 Jan 2010 | 12:47 pm
    As molecular manufacturing advances, it's conferences like this that pull it all together:Foundations of Nanoscience FNANO10: Self-Assembled Architectures and DevicesTopics that were theoretical or even science fiction a decade ago are now conference tracks: Viral Self-Assembly Nanoplasmonics & Nanophotovoltaics Self-Assembly Across Scales Top-down Meets Bottom-up Principles and Theory of Self-Assembly Plus fullerene nanostructures, protein self-assembly, synthetic biology, molecular motors, and several others.The conference is April 27-30 near Salt Lake City, with an NSF workshop on…

  • Paperless Office and Easy Manufacturing

    Chris Phoenix
    24 Jan 2010 | 8:37 pm
    A decade or two ago, the phrase "paperless office" was often heard, meaning that everything on paper could be delivered on your computer screen, so there'd be no need to create, read, and store flattened inky dead trees anymore.It didn't quite work that way. Instead, according to Wikipedia, the amount of paper in offices doubled from 1980 to 2000. Computers made it easier to create and print documents, and it turned out that people just like paper.When we can "print" 3D objects as easily as we can print documents, will the amount of stuff we own double? Will we…
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    Nanotechnology Notes

  • Toxic Chemicals in Consumer Products: More than Just Consumer Exposure

    Richard Denison
    8 Feb 2010 | 1:20 pm
    Cal Baier-Anderson, Ph.D., is a Health Scientist. An article recently published in the journal Macromolecules reports on the development of a new process that the authors claim can prevent the migration of phthalates from PVC plastic.   This “breakthrough” will undoubtedly be used to argue that industry should be allowed to continue to use a retinue of toxic chemicals in the manufacture of PVC destined for use in a broad variety of applications.  Concern for consumer exposures is often the main argument made against the use of toxic chemicals in consumer applications.  With evidence…

  • Householder words — and my reply

    Richard Denison
    2 Feb 2010 | 4:21 pm
    Richard Denison, Ph.D., is a Senior Scientist. Interesting exchange this afternoon between Joe Householder, Executive Director of the Coalition for Chemical Safety, and myself in comments on my last blog post.  See Mr. Householder's comment here, and my reply here.

  • Chemical industry “astroturf” group pads membership with agribusinesses – even though TSCA doesn’t regulate ag chemicals!

    Richard Denison
    2 Feb 2010 | 10:55 am
    Richard Denison, Ph.D., is a Senior Scientist. The chemical industry’s fake grassroots group formed to feign broad support for its version of reform of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) – the Coalition for Chemical Safety, issued a press release today touting that it’s surpassed 150 members.  I blogged earlier about how some of the small businesses it has enlisted apparently weren’t told about the Coalition backers’ actual positions on toxic chemicals. Now a review of the 150 members that have allowed the Coalition to meet its latest “milestone” reveals it has…

  • TSCA-geek contest: And the answer is …

    Richard Denison
    27 Jan 2010 | 1:18 pm
    Richard Denison, Ph.D., is a Senior Scientist. The “identify-that-quote” contest I posted yesterday attracted quite a few responses, some as comments on the post, others in emails to me.  Most people were on the right track in thinking that it was said decades ago, though one guess was of someone in the last decade.  (I have to agree it does read like something EU Commissioner Margot Wallstrom might have said.) If this were a popularity contest, the hands-down winner would be Rachel Carson.  Some said it must have come from Silent Spring, others from her 1963 Congressional testimony.

  • TSCA-geek contest: Who said this, and when?

    Richard Denison
    26 Jan 2010 | 1:56 pm
    Richard Denison, Ph.D., is a Senior Scientist. No prize offered, but here's a little contest.  Who can guess who said the following, in what context and when — without cheating by googling a phrase from it?  Answer provided tomorrow. "Most Americans had no idea, until relatively recently, that they were living so dangerously.  They had no idea that when they went to work in the morning, or when they ate their breakfast — that when they did things they had to do to earn a living and keep themselves alive and well — that when they did things as ordinary, as…
 
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    2020 Science

  • Twenty nanotechnology safety questions in search of answers

    I should warn you in advance – this is an interactive blog – there’s something I want from you!  I have a question – where do ordinary people go to get information on nanotechnology safety? Feeling a little lazy I thought I would get you – the loyal 2020 Science readership – to help me out [...]

  • Nanotechnology researchers at sea when it comes to safety

    If you ever wanted proof that the nanotechnology research community is floundering when it comes to safe working practices, look no further than a paper just published in the journal Nature Nanotechnology.  The paper, written by researchers at the Nanoscience Institute of Aragon (NIA) in Spain, surveys nanosafety practices in labs around the world.  Sadly, [...]

  • Davos 2010 wrapup – inspired by youth

    Well, I’ve survived my first “Davos” and lived to tell the tale.  I feel I should write about how profoundly important and influential these meetings are (and without a doubt, they are).  But it’s two o’clock in the morning, and I wanted to wrap up this blog series with a minimum of effort before hitting [...]

  • Getting from A to B: Technology innovation, global challenges and the Davos process

    There’s been something of a theme running through my day at The World Economic Forum Meeting in Davos today – getting from A to B.  The “A” in this case is technology innovation, and the “B” the problems we hope it will solve – the big ones like world hunger and disease, as well as [...]

  • Owning the carbon cycle

    This evening I was invited to talk to a group of industry leaders on alternative solutions to the “carbon” problem at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos.  The brief was to be one of three “firestarters” – a bit of a dangerous one if you ask me.  Given the informal setting (this was [...]
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    Metamodern

  • Exploiting strong, covalent bonds for self assembly of robust nanosystems

    Eric Drexler
    5 Feb 2010 | 11:37 pm
    “Porous, Crystalline, Covalent Organic Frameworks”Côté et al. Atomically precise self-assembly of complex structures can be engineered by providing for multiple binding interactions that Cooperate to stabilize the correct configuration, in a thermodynamic sense, and Do not stabilize any other configuration, in a kinetic sense Roughly speaking, in the correct configuration, the parts fit together to allow all the binding interactions to operate simultaneously, and the system doesn’t get stuck in other configurations. It’s easy to see how weak interactions and cooperative binding can…

  • Self assembly and nanomachines: Complexity, motion, and computational control

    Eric Drexler
    28 Jan 2010 | 12:50 pm
    A commenter on the previous post raised several important issues, and my reply grew into this post. The comment is here, and my reply follows: @ Eniac — Thanks, you raise several important questions. Regarding readiness to build extended, self assembling structures, yes, I think that the existing fabrication abilities (that is, the range of molecular structures that can be synthesized) are now more than adequate. The bottleneck is design software, including the development of rules that adequately (not perfectly) predict whether a given design satisfies a range of constraints. These include…

  • Self-assembling nanostructures: Building the building blocks

    Eric Drexler
    25 Jan 2010 | 1:05 am
    Diverse components This post is prompted by a set of interrelated advances in chemistry that hold great promise for advancing the art of atomically precise fabrication. In this post, I’ll describe an emerging class of modular synthesis methods for making a diverse set of small, complex molecular building blocks. The road to complex self-assembled nanosystems starts with stable molecular building blocks, and the more choices, the better. Self-assembly and the folding of foldamers are similar processes: They work when parts fit together well, and in just one way. Having building blocks to…

  • Boronate esters, Suzuki coupling, self-assembly, design software, etc.

    Eric Drexler
    24 Jan 2010 | 3:16 am
    … + 2 H2O, reversibly I’ve been exploring some recent developments in chemical synthesis and self-assembly that suggest attractive possibilities for engineering robust self-assembling molecular systems. Boronate esters are involved in two ways. Two days ago, I sat down to write about this, but then I read further into the literature, and learned substantially more. Yesterday, another cycle of the same. There’s entirely too much relevant information and progress. Maybe tomorrow.

  • Why fusion won’t provide power

    Eric Drexler
    19 Jan 2010 | 6:56 pm
    The greatest problem with fusion power is rarely mentioned and not on the research agenda. When I discussed it earlier, in “Fusion Power: A New Way to Boil Water”, I hadn’t seen this (quietly damning) report, which I think is worth quoting: Issues and R&D needs for commercial fusion energy An interim report of the ARIES technical working groups July 2008 From the introduction: The goal of this activity is to provide guidance to the fusion energy sciences community based on industry requirements… Buried among the discussions of plasma physics, neutron fluxes, and a host of…
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    Nano Bugle

  • Sensing Hormones with printed Nanocircuits

    nanobugle
    27 Jan 2010 | 10:13 am
    Just as glucose meters have revolutionized the treatment of diabetes, researchers at a startup called Aneeve Nanotechnologies believe they’re building hormone sensors that could revolutionize the understanding and treatment of infertility, menopause, and other conditions related to hormone fluctuation. Aneeve is part of a new technology incubator program at the University of California at Los Angeles. The company is working to create low-cost sensors that can be made with off-the-shelf ink-jet printers and carbon-nanotube ink. The printers lay down nanotube circuits that, upon…

  • The most Inventive Companies

    nanobugle
    21 Jan 2010 | 4:04 am
    There is a clear correlation between Innovation and Success. In other words, the most innovative companies in the world are usually among the most successful. Recently Businessweek published a list with the most inventive companies in 2009. Opportunely, the American magazine ranked companies not only according to the number of patents filled but it also considered the economic value of their exclusive rights. Of course, some of these companies are very active in Nanotechnology. Everybody in the sector knows the major IBM breakthroughs in nanosciences but we cannot forget other active players…

  • First stone of the building of the Madrid Institute for Avanced Studies in Nanoscience was laid last week.

    nanobugle
    20 Jan 2010 | 4:37 am
    First stone of the building of the Madrid Institute for Avanced Studies in Nanoscience (IMDEA Nanociencia) was laid last week. The new facility should be ready by Spring 2011. 200 researchers are expected to be working there at that point. You can read all about the ceremony here. As the result of a joint initiative of the Community of Madrid and the Ministry of Science and Innovation, the Institute IMDEA Nanociencia, one of the most important research centres in Nanotechnology in Spain, will be located in the Campus of the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid in Cantoblanco. The IMDEA Nanociencia…

  • Impact of nanomaterials in debate at 2nd NanoImpactNet Conference

    nanobugle
    12 Jan 2010 | 12:39 pm
    The 2nd NanoImpactNet Conference for a healty environment in a future with nanotechnology will take place in Lausane from 9-12 March 2010. The preliminary programme is available here. The first day inludes training on handling protocols and standardisation of nanomaterials in toxicological research. NanoImpactNet is a multidisciplinary European network on the health and environmental impact of nanomaterials. NanoImpactNet will create a scientific basis to ensure the safe and responsible development of engineered nanoparticles and nanotechnology-based materials and products, and will support…

  • U.S. invest in New Clean-Tech Manufacturing Jobs

    nanobugle
    12 Jan 2010 | 3:26 am
    President Obama announced the award of $2.3 billion in Recovery Act Advanced Energy Manufacturing Tax Credits for clean energy manufacturing projects across the United States. One hundred eighty-three projects in 43 states will create tens of thousands of high quality clean energy jobs and the domestic manufacturing of advanced clean energy technologies including solar, wind and efficiency and energy management technologies. You can read more about the Recovery Act Tax Credits and the projects that have already been approvedhere.
 
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    NanotechnologyLawReport

  • EPA to Reverse Position on 'Existing' Nanomaterials

    John C. Monica, Jr.
    4 Feb 2010 | 8:10 am
    Last September we predicted that sometime in 2010 EPA would reverse its "distinct molecular identity" approach to determining when and whether nanoscale materials are considered New Chemical Substances requiring premanufacturing notice and approval under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA).   We have been advising clients accordingly.  Inside EPA is now reporting that "EPA toxics chief Steve Owens" . . . "is expected to announce the shift Feb. 5." Thus, tomorrow should be an interesting day in nano-regulatory-land.  We will provide our…

  • The Nanotechnology Education Act

    Robert Oszakiewski
    1 Feb 2010 | 11:34 am
    The Nanotechnology Education Act (H.R. 4502), was introduced early last week by Rep. David Wu (D-1st-OR) and co-sponsored by Rep. Daniel Lipinski (D-3rd-Ill). The bill has as it's purpose the establishment of a grant program aimed at helping secondary schools, colleges and universities to established and improve nanotechnology education programs and facilities. The bill notes that nanotechnology "is generating scientific and technological breakthroughs that will benefit society by improving the way many things are produced" and that Nanotechnology is likely to have a significant,…

  • The Nanotech Regulatory Document Archive

    Robert Oszakiewski
    29 Jan 2010 | 3:44 pm
    The Center for the Study of Law, Science & Technology, part of the Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law at Arizona State University,  Monash University Law School, and the Institute of Environmental and Energy Law jointly created the Nanotech Regulatory Document Archive in 2009. The archive is a free and easily searchable database of, as the name implies, documents regarding the regulation of nanotechnology, nanomaterials and nanoindustry produced by national and state governments, government agencies, and others throughout the world. Users are supposed to create an…

  • The Nanotechnology Safety Act of 2010

    Robert Oszakiewski
    25 Jan 2010 | 10:50 am
    On Thursday 01/21/2010, Senator Mark Pryor (D-Ark) introduced S. 2942, "The Nanotechnology Safety Act of 2010", the first nanotechnology related bill of the 2nd session of the 111th Congress. The bill is co-sponsored by Senator Benjamin Cardin (D-MD). The text of S. 2942 has not yet been made available by the Government Printing Office; the link above is to Senator Pryor's introductory remarks in the Congressional Record. The text of S. 2942 as introduced follows the Senator's remarks. In his introductory remarks Senator Pryor stated that the bill would "authorize a program of…

  • The French Nanotech debates

    Robert Oszakiewski
    22 Jan 2010 | 2:24 pm
    Last year, the French Commission of Public Debates launched a series of public debates about nanotechnology, with the purpose of presenting all aspects of nanotechnology and nanoindustry to the general public and to use the views expressed by all sides in shaping future government policies in the nanotech area. However, according to a recent report on Science magazine's blogsite, the debates have not quite gone according to Robert's Rules of Order. A faction of French environmentalists have appeared at three of the debates using tactics similar to those of the "Tea…
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    Nanomedicinecenter.com

  • Colon cancer warning signs

    admin
    4 Feb 2010 | 7:30 am
    A lot of patients suffering from colon cancer might well present no symptoms or signs during the earliest stages of the condition. When symptoms do eventually present, they can be many and varied, and can very much depend upon the size of the affliction, how far it has spread and also its actual location. It might be that some symptoms that present are as a result of a condition other than cancer itself, ranging from irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and occasionally diverticulosis. Also, such problems as abdominal pain or swelling can be symptomatic of colon…

  • Prostate cancer symptoms

    admin
    3 Feb 2010 | 7:00 am
    Prostate cancer has a number of symptoms, and it should be remembered that the most typical prostate cancer symptoms and those of a non-cancerous enlarged prostate are identical. As a result, medical advice should be sought as soon as possible on identification of any such symptoms. These symptoms include the sudden need to rush to the lavatory in order to pass water and also a difficulty in passing water. There may also be instances of passing water more often than would otherwise be usual-particularly during the course of the night. Those so afflicted may also experience pain when passing…

  • How much money is spent on cancer research

    admin
    2 Feb 2010 | 6:30 am
    Cancer research is typically invested in by a number of different individuals, groups or organizations worldwide in the hopes of developing both treatment and cure for the disease. The state of California, for instance, has reportedly invested $10-12 million in direct cancer research annually, while the National Cancer Institute (NCI) within the United States has reportedly spend $4.8 to $5.2 billion per annum on cancer research and treatment development. Using the NCI as an example for cancer research and how money is allocated, according to their fact sheet breast cancer is the primary…

  • How many people die from cancer each year

    admin
    1 Feb 2010 | 6:00 am
    While cancer death statistics can vary from place to place it is generally estimated that roughly 7.2 to 7.5 million people worldwide die from cancer each year. In the United States alone where cancer death statistics are highly monitored each year has seen a steady death rate of 550,000 to 600,000 people year after year, or roughly 1,500 people per day. This puts cancer as the second leading cause of death in the US just behind heart disease, with it looking to take the number one slot in 2010 given current growth statistics. With a growth rate of over one million new cases each year these…

  • What causes skin cancer

    admin
    31 Jan 2010 | 12:41 am
    There are a few major causes of skin cancer, but by far the most over-riding is excessive or constant over-exposure to ultraviolet (most often known as “UV”) radiation form the sun. Many people forget that the sun’s energy is actually a type of radiation and it consists of both visible and invisible rays. Invisible infrared radiation is what makes the sunlight feel hot. Ultraviolet rays are also invisible, and these are what precipitate both sun tans and skin cancer. This is where the sun tan myth should be entirely exploded: Many people, especially in Western cultures, have-for a…
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    Next Big Future

  • Eike Batista Forecasts 5-6 Million Barrels of Oil Per Day for Brazil by 2020

    noreply@blogger.com (bw)
    9 Feb 2010 | 11:21 am
    OGX Petroleo & Gas Participacoes SA rose to a two-week high in Sao Paulo trading after the oil company controlled by Brazilian billionaire Eike Batista said a well may hold as many as 900 million barrels of recoverable oil. The OGX oil is in shallow offshore oil on the continental shelf off of Brazil. The lifting cost of the OGX oil is $8 per barrel. Eike Batista predicted in an interview on the Charlie Rose show that Brazil would have oil production of 5-6 million barrels by 2020. Brazilian oil and gas start-up company OGX Petroleo e Gas Participacoes (OGXP3.SA) expects its output to reach…

  • Marc Raibert of Boston Dynamics Interview - BigDog Robot Makers - By Sander Olson

    noreply@blogger.com (bw)
    9 Feb 2010 | 9:25 am
    Here is the Marc Raibert interview, attached. Dr. Raibert is a former MIT Professor who founded the Boston Dynamics corporation. Dr. Raibert and his colleagues have succeeded in developing hopping, self-balancing robots that can run and traverse terrain like animals. Boston Dynamics has recently unveiled a series of sophisticated mobile robots, including Big Dog: http://www.youtube.com/bostondynamics Boston Dynamics has recently unveiled that it is the recipient of a DARPA contract to develop the Legged Squad Support System (LS3) robot, which will be an upgraded and improved version of Big…

  • Enhancing GPS Accuracy

    noreply@blogger.com (bw)
    8 Feb 2010 | 11:28 pm
    European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service (EGNOS) - better than 2 meter accuracy Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS) - 1.0 metre laterally and 1.5 metres vertically Multi-functional Satellite Augmentation System (MSAS) - Japan - 1.5-2 metres horizontally and laterally GPS Correction - 1.5-2 meters Local Area Augmentation System - 0.5 meter accuracy when later phases deployed Europe's Galileo (2013) - a few centimeter accuracy The European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service (EGNOS) is a satellite based augmentation system (SBAS) under development by the European Space Agency,…

  • ISSCC - Silicon Could Scale to 7.9 nanometers, Graphene Favorite for Post-CMOS and Call to Increase Energy Efficiency 100 Times

    noreply@blogger.com (bw)
    8 Feb 2010 | 5:11 pm
    EETimes reports from International Solid State Circuit Conference (ISSCC) For processors, silicon could scale to the 7.9-nm node, which is slated for 2024. Reasons Graphene is the post-CMOS Favorite by James Meindl, director of the Joseph M. Pettit Microelectronics Research Center : 1. Graphene has a mechanical strength-to-weight ratio exceeding that of any known material. 2. Carrier mobility exceeds 200,000-cm2/Vs. 3. Carriers with zero effective mass that propagate as 'Dirac fermions' in a manner similar to photons with a velocity 300 times less than the speed of light without scattering…

  • More Exaggerated Climate Change Claims Causing Backlash as More Are Debunked

    noreply@blogger.com (bw)
    8 Feb 2010 | 11:40 am
    The Times UK online reports on more potential errors IPCC Synthesis Report to government leaders The most important is a claim that global warming could cut rain-fed north African crop production by up to 50% by 2020, a remarkably short time for such a dramatic change. This weekend Professor Chris Field, the new lead author of the IPCC’s climate impacts team, told The Sunday Times that he could find nothing in the report to support the claim. The revelation follows the IPCC’s retraction of a claim that the Himalayan glaciers might all melt by 2035. The Sunday Telegraph reveals new factual…
 
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    TNTlog

  • Never Mind The Shadow Biosphere…

    Tim
    27 Jan 2010 | 7:39 am
    I mentioned nanotech getting the blame for things earlier, but if you take a pinch of ray Kurzweil’s Singularity, a smidgeon of nanotech, a bunch of conspiracy theories and cook in an over active imagination for a decade or two and we arrive at… Dr. William Deagle Exposes The Secrets Of Nanotechnology, Underground Cities & The Alien Influence In Our History

  • A Traditional Bit of Chaos & Bigotry

    Tim
    27 Jan 2010 | 5:23 am
    "En Route To The Nanotech Debate" It’s always odd how nanotechnology gets blamed for a lot of the world’s ills A common accusation is that nanotech will lead to a loss of privacy, although this is surely more due to the proliferation of databases and processing power to enable facial or car number plate recognition. It is ironic that some of the most vocal protesters use Facebook & Twitter. Chemistry World has been reporting on the protests at French nanotechnology debates, which seem to have degenerated into attempts to disrupt any public engagement. Perhaps they…

  • Nanotech and Turkey Twizzlers – Really?

    Tim
    18 Jan 2010 | 12:48 am
    Nanotechnology - According to the Soil Association The UK’s well known and respected science magazine The Daily Mail has an article by Peter Melchet, Policy Director of the Soil Association who seems to need his head examined for equating nanotechnology with “Turkey Twizzlers,” but I suppose you have to do these things if you write for the tabloids. It’s the usual Daily Mail journalism, take a few bits of fact and then extrapolate them into a nightmarish vision of scientists turning cats inside out for fun and then relaxing by forcing toxic substances down babies…

  • Support R&D, Create Wealth!

    Tim
    18 Jan 2010 | 12:21 am
    When it comes to spending decent sums on R&D and translating that into a direct economic impact, South Korea has been a shining example. While we struggle with budgets, the People’s Daily reports on South Koreas spending plans for emerging technologies: The South Korean government said Thursday it will increase the amount of investment in developing technology to enhance the nation’s competitiveness. According to the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, it will spend up to 354.9 billion won (316.0 million U.S. dollars) this year, up 18 percent from the 2009…

  • “Something Should Be Done” – Nanotechnology: a UK Industry View

    Tim
    17 Jan 2010 | 1:29 pm
    The new report “Nanotechnology: a UK Industry View” finally surfaced, and its recommendations are to spend more money, develop more skills, have more dialogue and..sorry, I must have nodded off, but it’s pretty standard stuff, and the recommendations are exactly the same as every other nanotech report produced over the past ten years. I have to question why we go through this process again and again and again, with each report calling for the same things and nothing ever changing. We need to establish a few ground rules if UK nanotechnology is ever going to break out of…
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