The Future Is Coming 2: Nanotechnology

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In this thread I want to discuss the many possibilities that nanotechnology will hopefully deliver within the next decades. For starters, nanotechnology is a branch of science dealing with building extremely small machines out of the precise configurations of atoms and molecules. These tools will help us create many new and impressive materials with exotic qualities.
www.nanomaterialscompany.com...
When we organize molecules at the molecular level, and in different patterns we see what's called "Size emergent properties in nano-materials". These materials can have vastly different properties than the same materials not nano-organized.
The theoretical applications for nanotechnology are endless, however in this thread I will outline the mainstream ideas.
Nano-materials video - www.omnexus.com...

1. INDUSTRY and MANUFACTURING

The first is the manufacturing industry. Today's form of manufacturing is very expensive and wasteful of resources. The future of manufacturing will be called molecular assembly. This is the ability to create massive quantities of molecularly precise structures in a massive parallel fashion. These molecular assemblers will utilize nano-scale gears, struts, springs and motors to create these precise structures.

www.youtube.com...

The energy requirements for nano-factories are negligible. I estimate that molecular manufacturing will be an energy generator rather than an energy consumer. A molecular manufacturing process can be driven by the chemical energy content of the feedstock matrerials, producing electrical energy as a by-product (if only to reduce the heat dissipation burden) using typical organic feedstock, and assuming oxidation of surplus hydrogen, reasonably efficient molecular manufacturing processes are net energy producers. -Drexler, Nanosystems.

Manufacturing using molecular nanotechnology fabrication will also be far more energy efficient than contemporary manufacturing, which moves bulk materials from place to place in a relatively wasteful manner. - Ray Kurzweil

Here are some resources showing the many different parts and designs of this technology
www.youtube.com...

A solar run molecular motor only 58 atoms in size www.nature.com...

Light driven molecular rotor;
www.nature.com...

Conveyor belt for the nano-age
www.lbl.gov...
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Transportation of material at the nano-scale

A Molecular assembler
molecularassembler.com...

A Chemically powered nano-motor only 78 atoms in size
www.nih.gov...
These extremely small motors will potentially be used to power these tiny machines.
DNA biped walking device.
www.newscientist.com...
Another tool for transporting molecular sized structures.

Translation of DNA signals into polymer assembly instructions
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov...
Combining this technology with designer bacteria could allow us to use bacteria as our Nano-machines. Designer Bacteria is created with genetic engineering. The possibilities are only limited to our understanding of the genetic code.

Nano-positioning technologies
www.nanomotor.de...
This allows for very precise positioning of tiny objects based on a system that moves in very tiny and equally measured increments.

Acoustic tweezers for nano-positioning
www.thaindian.com...
This will have many uses as it is much more difficult to move tiny objects with other physical objects.Using sound is also less destructive than other methods on organic material

Kinematic self replicating machines
www.molecularassembler.com...
For building an army of nano-machines.

Self-replicating nanomachines feasible -
www.smalltimes.com/document_display.cfm?section_id=53&document_id=8007

Biofuel cells run on metabolic energy to power medical implants.
www.Nature.com/news/2002/021111/full/02111101.html www.geobacter.org/research/microbial/
Powering nano-systems with your body.

One thing that will be very important to this succeeding is the self-replication ability. It is hard to actually build these systems. But if we have self-replicating machines, we will end up growing them over time, and will enable us to mass-produce these machines in the quantities needed. I know there are a lot of security issues with this idea, and I will address these at the end.


[edit on 12/6/2009 by VonDoomen]

[edit on 12/6/2009 by VonDoomen]

2. HEALTH and MEDICINE

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Nanobot replacing a neuron - www.youtube.com...

The other Industry, which I believe will benefit best from nanotechnology, is the healthcare system, and most importantly, YOUR body. Nanotech has a lot of exciting technology in store for us.

Nature shows that molecules can serve as machines cause living things work by means of such machinery. Enzymes are molecular machines that make, break, and rearrange the bonds holding other molecules together. Muscles are driven by molecular machines that haul fiber past one another. DNA serves as a data-storage system, transmitting digital instructions to molecular machines. The ribosomes, that manufacture protein molecules. And these protein molecules, in turn, make up most of the molecular machinery.- Drexler

Bionic Chip Merges Living Biological Cell With Electronic Circuitry
berkeley.edu...

University researchers have invented what they believe is the first "bionic chip" -- part living tissue, part machine -- in which a biological cell is part of the actual electronic circuitry. The new chip gives scientists something they long have sought: an "open sesame" tool to get safely inside fragile, living cells at the touch of a button.

www.theregister.co.uk...
Growing Neurons on computer chips - www.youtube.com...

Miniature robotic surgeons
www.newscientist.com... Less invasive and better able to deal with internal injuries.

Nano-particles for the delivery of genes and drugs to human cell
www.scienceblog.com...
www.nanomedicine.com...
A much more efficient and quicker directed method for delivering compounds to cells.

A living molecular motor with a fabrication device
www.news.cornell.edu...
This represents a merger of a real human cell with a nano-fabrication device, attached. Such machines could travel through the body, functioning as mobile pharmacies, for example, dispensing precise doses of chemotherapy drugs exclusively to cancer cells.

Redesigning the human cell

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Here's a conceptually simple proposal to overcome all biological pathogens. With the advent of full-scale nanotechnology in the 2020s we will have the potential to replace biology's genetic-information repository in the cell nucleus with a nano-engineered system that would maintain the genetic code and simulate the actions of RNA, the ribosome, and other elements of the computer in biology's assembler. A nano-computer would maintain the genetic code and implement the gene-expression algorithms. A nanobot would then construct the amino-acid sequences for the expressed genes.
- Ray Kurweil

There have also been designs put forth for improving the many different types of cells that make the human body run.

Artificial red blood cell
foresight.org...
The artificial red blood cell or "respirocyte" proposed here is a spherical 1-micron size diamonoid with active pumping powered by endogenous glucose. Due to it ability with withstand a pressure of about 10 atmospheres it is able to deliver 236 times more oxygen to the tissues per unit volume than natural red cells. It also will be able to manage carbonic acidity with an onboard computer and numerous chemical and pressure sensors enable complex device

Artificial platelets
www.imm.org...
The artificial mechanical platelet or clottocyte of the future could be 100-1000 of times faster and more efficient that biological ones. Conceived as a oxyglucose-powered spherical nano-robot 2 microns in diameter, it contains a fiber mesh that is compactly folded onboard. Upon command, the device unfurls its mesh packet in the immediate vicinity of an injured blood vessel. Soluble thin films coating certain parts of the mesh dissolve upon contact with plasma water, revealing sticky sections in desired patterns.

Artificial phagocytes
www.rfreitas.com...
A theoretical artificial mechanical phagocytes of microscopic size, called a "microbivore. Its primary function is to destroy microbiological pathogens found in the human bloodstream. The microbivore is a spheroidal nano-medical device measuring 3.4 microns in diameter. Microbivores will be up to 1000 times faster-acting than biological defenses. They would also be about 80 times more efficient than macrophages, in terms of volume/sec digested per unit volume.
www.youtube.com...



[edit on 12/6/2009 by VonDoomen]

3. SECURITY and DEFENSE
On the flip side, nanotechnology could also be used as very powerful weapons. This will change the world as much as the invention of the nuclear/atomic bombs. There are many potential military applications for nanotech being put forth and I will discuss a few of them here.

Smart Dust - Currently being developed by DARPA, is a system of complex sensors that are no bigger than a pinhead. Swarms of millions of these devices could be dropped into enemy territory and provide highly detailed and time sensitive information
www.youtube.com...

Grey Goo-
This is the ultimate weapon of the nano age. We have all seen it portrayed before in Hollywood such as The Day the Earth Stood Still and Prey by Michael Creighton. This is a swarm of De-assemblers. Much like the molecular assemblers above, a De-assembler takes thing apart, atom by atom, instead of building them. The mass that is being taken apart, can then, in turn be used to build MORE De-assemblers, creating a runaway process. The only defense against this type of weapon is itself. Having your own gray goo that you can use to attack it. These machines could theoretically be programmed to work selectively on any type of substrates.
en.wikipedia.org...

Claytronics -
These are objects and materials that will display qualities of both solids and liquids. Objects created with this type of material will be able to change shape or morph, on the go. On top of that these materials will be self-healing.
www.eurekalert.org...
www.youtube.com...
Morphing Robots - www.youtube.com...
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Evolution, the process that produced humanity, possesses only one goal: create gene machines maximally capable of producing copies of themselves. In retrospect, this is the only way complex structures such as life could possibly arise in an unintelligent universe. But this goal often comes into conflict with human interests, causing death, suffering, and short life spans. The past progress of humanity has been a history of shattering evolutionary constraints.
-Michael Anissimov

4. PROTECTING OURSELVES.
Nanotech will give us the ability to dominate the world from the molecular level. We will greatly increasing the power in human hands. We will be able to create more than we could ever have imagined, and be able to destroy more than we think. It is essential that we proceed down this path with caution. There have been many proposals put forth for protecting humanity.

Customization of systems- nano-based machines can be customized to a consistent input material for both construction and fuel. The idea being the nano-bots are fed a consistent substrate from which they construct material. Embedded within the substrate is also the energy source for the machines to run. This limits these machines performing their process only on the right input.

The substrate should also be a mixture/compound not found in the natural environment

Replication should require replication codes that are encrypted and time limited.

Replication should be separated from the functionality of end products. Manufacturing devices can create end products, but cannot replicate themselves. All end products will have no replication abilities.

A broadcast architecture including A ban on self-replicating machines that contain their own codes for self-replication. Such entities would have to obtain such code from a centralized secure server, which would guard against unwanted replication.

Evolution within the context of a self-replicating manufacturing system will be discouraged

Distribution of molecular manufacturing developmental capabilities should be restricted whenever possible, to responsible actors who agree upon these guidelines.


[edit on 12/6/2009 by VonDoomen]

Extremely informative and well thought out post. I've always been an advocate of the expansion of nano-technology. And I like the set rules, It would have to be that way until we fully understood the power and consequences of nano-tech proliferation.

But, I want to see the market flush with flexible and thin touchscreens, interactive tattoos, nano-LED natural light emitting lamps, much more capable computers, better health care, and superior building materials.

[edit on 6-12-2009 by projectvxn]

Kudos, very well represented thread.

I've been interested in nano-tech for a while, it seems to be one thing we could have to cure a lot of the problems facing humans...

Health, space travel, food supply, the options are only limited by our imaginations.

Of course the only problem is, once the genie is out the bottle... and who's hands the genie is in.

Good thread well researched and informative, IMO nanotech is the way forward for many aspects of human evolution, but like so many human inventions there can also be a negative side to this technology or the dark side as some scientists call it, the military have a big interest in this Tec, and it’s not hard to understand why, manipulating, controlling and manufacturing machines at the molecular level has an extraordinary power of control, I’ve looked into Smart dust in the past as a passing interest through my previous job (I worked as a lab technician in the telecommunications industry in a wafer fab) and this technology can be used for many applications such as monitoring applications, detecting cancers in the human body through to communicating with computers, there’s a good article on that hear. Smart duston the flip side it can be used for tracking abilities and indeed has been in the past, al Qaeda leader Abu Musab al Zarqawi was apparently tracked and killed using Smart dust..

I think you hit the nail on the head when you type Evolution within the context of a self-replicating manufacturing system will be discouraged but WILL IT be discouraged within military projects?? That’s the question.

Great post S&F for you!

If anybody has any questions or wants anything elaborated on let me know!

I always thought the coolest thing nanotechnology can do is creat nano machines that clean the environment from heavy metals , toxins and pollutants by re-arranging their chemical structure into less toxic forms or transform them into substrates which can be chemically altered further.

Radiation scrubbers and the like , would finally keep this planet pollutant free! Also nano machines that repair the ozone layer by creating o3 molecules

Very interesting thread indeed

A very interesting part of your OP that I found intriguing was this paragraph.

Claytronics -
These are objects and materials that will display qualities of both solids and liquids. Objects created with this type of material will be able to change shape or morph, on the go. On top of that these materials will be self-healing.

Would this type of 'technology' be able to change the appearance of a human being? i.e nano cells that can effect that structure of cells in a human body?

Edit:

I thought it was apt to say that this paragraph should be changed to

4. PROTECTING OURSELVES.
Nanotech will give TPTB the ability to dominate the world from the molecular level. THEY will greatly increasing the power in human hands. THEY will be able to create more than THEY could ever have imagined, and be able to destroy more than we think. It is essential that we proceed down this path with caution. There have been many proposals put forth for protecting humanity.


[edit on 7-12-2009 by franspeakfree]

Originally posted by franspeakfree
Very interesting thread indeed

A very interesting part of your OP that I found intriguing was this paragraph.

Claytronics -
These are objects and materials that will display qualities of both solids and liquids. Objects created with this type of material will be able to change shape or morph, on the go. On top of that these materials will be self-healing.

Would this type of 'technology' be able to change the appearance of a human being? i.e nano cells that can effect that structure of cells in a human body?

Edit:

I thought it was apt to say that this paragraph should be changed to

4. PROTECTING OURSELVES.
Nanotech will give TPTB the ability to dominate the world from the molecular level. THEY will greatly increasing the power in human hands. THEY will be able to create more than THEY could ever have imagined, and be able to destroy more than we think. It is essential that we proceed down this path with caution. There have been many proposals put forth for protecting humanity.


[edit on 7-12-2009 by franspeakfree]

To answer your first question about the claytronics. Its a yes and no answer. Eventually, We'll be able to replace every biological cell in our body with an artificially created one. Technically, we could be able to change shape slightly. However, the cells need to be maintained in a slightly organized fashion in certain areas such as the blood stream and communication lines.

Of course, we could remove the need for a biological nervous system, and just use wireless communication between nano-cells. If we have an artificial blood system, or more appropriately, a system the can transfer energy/oxygen to other nano-cells and a very unorganized manner, then we could see more intricate ability to reshape ourselves. but like I said, we have to keep communication and power together to some extent.
===================================
the second part of your post has a certain amount of truth to it. However, If the PTB really wanted to destroy something,, conventional nukes or engineered virus's would be safer for them. A run-away gray goo attack would destroy the world. there really would be no where to hide, even these underground bunker complexes would be largely incapable of withstanding to this. You would eventually see a very lage % conversion of the planets mass into nano-machines.



I think my favorite part of this is the ability for us to replace our cells with engineered ones. The artificial RBC would be great. In theory, they believe you could hold your breath for us to 4 hours with this in your blood.

Great Post , S&F, I cant wait for nano-Walls, I cant wait for it to fail just as I walk thru it either..

But, Nokia have planes for us on the matter, you probably have seen this,but..

reply to post by ChemBreather


All this nanotechnology could be put to good use and revolutionise the world. However, if we continue to adopt the same policies as we are doing now this will never see the light.

I am suprised that this thread hasn't garnished more attention? this could possibly be the next generation technology. The uses of this type of tech is endless.

I am sure somewhere in some underground facility they have already developed some form of nanotech for military purposes correct me you think I am wrong.

Very interesting video and thread thye both deserve more attention in my book.





[edit on 7-12-2009 by franspeakfree]

reply to post by franspeakfree


Thank you for your sentiments. I would love to get this thread some front page exposure.

As for the military applications, yes they certainly do have nanoscale technology,, of course the extent of it is unknown, but I would assume they DO NOT have stuff that's a whole lot more advanced than the public sector.

Its a reported fact that the military used "smart dust" to find and track Zarqawi in iraq. so It has been used, and is still being used more than likely.

Some more news on the topic-

www.physorg.com...
Scientist have announced the creation of a transistor consisting of only a single atom! This is essential for nano-scale computing.

reply to post by VonDoomen


thx for posting this.. which has always been something in the back of my mind; and now that I've spent 16 yrs in the high tech industry, trust me, the movies Terminator & I Robot, don't sound so far fetched..seriously.

I believe the TPTB already have a working model. It's just a matter of time before they show it off, always to their advantage.

Below is the wiki page for 65nm tech to support what it actually looks like.. to help give a better idea where exactally we are at in the world...

en.wikipedia.org...


Intel just announced 32nm and said they have a 22nm working model but, just working out the 'bugs'.

www.intel.com...

it's something to think about ..and pray they make it for the good the world..

Again, great thread - I'd also love to see this garner more attention.

A couple of questions, as you seem to be pretty clued-up.

1) What are you thinking of a realistic delivery date for nano-tech, consumer/private market.

2) Obviously the "private" market will be way ahead of the public one - what, realistically are we going to be looking at by way of this tech being used against the populace.

3) I read ages ago about "rogue" nanotech, ie: if a bot is built to self-replicate and carries on indefinitely/exponentially it will get to a certain point where the nanobots have enough mass to collapse the planet... likelihood?

Sorry if these questions seem a little scatty, I'm trying to do a 100 things at once.

reply to post by VonDoomen


Nanoparticule are carcinogen : Fe is not, nanotparticul of fe is.

And they are used everywhere : wait and see the concequences ?

( what about nano-termith ?)


"The other Industry, which I believe will benefit best from nanotechnology, is the healthcare system, and most importantly, YOUR body. Nanotech has a lot of exciting technology in store for us."

Sorry but my theory is : erase the root, and there is no problem and accept you human nature. Or you should face the conquences of your choice : for the human race.

[edit on 7-12-2009 by psychederic]

Very nice thread. informative and easy to read.

just gonna add some stuffs.

Nano bots will also be used in medicine to deliver medicine directly to the part that needs it. as well as cleaning out arteries kidneys and whatever other organs need it.

the military is designing nanobots to make invisible soldiers. The front of him will have nanobots with monitors. and his back will have nanobots with a camera. this will create the illusion that he is not there.

the entire world will change when these nanobots will become part of our everyday lives. the question is will it be for the better?

Great thread! I can see the OP took lots of time into this. I still find nano-technology disturbing. I mean, it's okay if we are all cyborgs, IMO. But, what scares the crap out of me are artificial intelligence and nano-bots. Think I-Robot or the day the earth stood still type scenarios

Originally posted by jokei
Again, great thread - I'd also love to see this garner more attention.

A couple of questions, as you seem to be pretty clued-up.

1) What are you thinking of a realistic delivery date for nano-tech, consumer/private market.

2) Obviously the "private" market will be way ahead of the public one - what, realistically are we going to be looking at by way of this tech being used against the populace.

3) I read ages ago about "rogue" nanotech, ie: if a bot is built to self-replicate and carries on indefinitely/exponentially it will get to a certain point where the nanobots have enough mass to collapse the planet... likelihood?

Sorry if these questions seem a little scatty, I'm trying to do a 100 things at once.

1. I think we will start to see a visible impact from nano-tech between 2015-2020. Currently, the only productive nanotechnology being used publicly is typically used for research and development of small quantities of exotic materials.(see emergent properties at the beginning of my post) These machines that we're theory 20 years ago are now real. We are still working with relatively small numbers though. The trick to getting where we hope, is having a safe self replication system.

My bet is that nano-tech systems will continue to be mainly developed deep within the military where it is the most secure. However that doesn't mean schools and private companies wont be researching as well. We will see continual progress with certain technologies going public here and there. However there are certain ethical questions we have to answer about ourselves before we will see the more wilder applications become public. So, IMO, don't expect a morph able nanobody soon.

2. I am unsure to be honest. When we look at how crazy the world is today, who knows what It will be like in 2020? There are many potential applications for this technology that are "big brother" in nature. However, the positive applications of this technology are much more powerful and better for everyone.

3. You are referring to the "grey goo" scenario. most have seen it from "the day the earth stood still" or "prey". It is VERY possible. However at the end of my post, I put out the current theory for rules to prevent this. I want to reassure the readers though that TPTB would probably not ever use a gray goo type weapon as I said, I could devour everything on the planet. The biggest threat is from Rogue entities using this technology.