In what can eventually kick up a firestorm similar to the genetically modified food controversy, the emerging field of "nano-agriculture" is making headlines. It involves the use of nano-particles — wisps 1/50,000th the width of a human hair — in agriculture and could have beneficial affects for crops, say scientists.
Using nanorobots to deliver drugs and fight diseases is not a new idea. Of course, nanorobots floating inside our bodies to improve our health are still years away. However, an international team of American and Australian researchers is developing a nanorobot hardware architecture for medical defense. They have developed a nanorobot control design (NCD) software which helps them to simulate the behavior of these future nanorobots. Their 3-D approach shows 'how nanorobots can effectively improve health care and medical defense and should enable innovative real time protection against pandemic outbreaks.' But read more...
A new composite plastic built layer by layer has been created by engineers at the University of Michigan. This plastic is as strong as steel. It has been built the same way as mother-of-pearl, and shows similar strength. Interestingly, this 300-layer plastic has been built with 'strong' nanosheets of clay and a 'fragile' polymer called polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), commonly used in paints and glue, which acts as 'Velcro' to envelop the nanoparticles. This new plastic could soon be used to design light but strong armors for soldiers or police officers. The researchers also think this material could be used in biomedical sensors and unmanned aircraft.
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Carbon nanotubes can resist to pressures as high as a tenth of the one at the center of the Earth. But before breaking, they propagate this pressure to whatever has been put inside them, squeezing nanowires for example.In fact, these nanotubes could one day be used as metalworking tools, acting like nanoscale jigs or extruders.
Using our knowledge of asbestos could help us to assess the risks from nanoparticles, or their nanotoxicity. For example, nanotubes which are now used for many industrial developments have similar shapes as fibers like asbestos, being long and extremely thin. And like nanomaterials today, asbestos was considered as harmless when humans were exposed to it.
Gartner has released its 2005 Hype Cycle for Emerging Technologies, one of 68 hype cycles released by the analyst firm this year. Along with the really funky stuff, such as carbon nanotubes, podcasting, and mesh networks, SOA and Web services get a special mention -- a very special mention -- in the analyst firm's assessment.
The only question is which approach will work best--using molten silicon, designer molecules, or maybe protein globules?
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