Nanotechnology Now

• About Us
  
  • Advertising
  • Our Mission
  • Our Team
  • Comments
  • Friends
  • Contact
• Nanotechnology
• News
  
  • Current News
  • Press Releases
  • Submit Press
  • Press kit
  • Interviews
• Columns
• Products
  
  • Our Products
  • Books
  • Featured Books
• Directories
  
  • Companies/Academic
  • Events
  • Glossary
  • Best Of
• Career Center
• Nano-Social Network
• Nano Consulting
• My Account

Home > News > Star makers

November 2nd, 2007

Star makers

Abstract:
For example, nanotechnology may facilitate the development of von Neumann probes. As American physicist Richard Feynman observed in his seminal essay, 'There's Plenty of Room at the Bottom', there is nothing in the laws of physics to proscribe building armies of molecular-sized machines. At present, scientists have already built atomic-sized, entertaining curiosities, ranging from an atomic abacus with buckyballs to an atomic guitar with strings, measuring about 100 atoms across.

Paul Davies speculates on the idea that a spacefaring civilisation could make good use of nanotechnology to construct miniature probes to explore the galaxy, perhaps no bigger than the palm of your hand. "The tiny probes I'm talking about will be so inconspicuous that it's no surprise that we haven't come across one," he says. "It's not the sort of thing that you're going to trip over in your backyard. So if that is the way technology develops - namely, smaller, faster, cheaper - and if other civilisations have gone this route, then we could be surrounded by surveillance devices."

Source:
cosmosmagazine.com

Bookmark:

Related News Press

Possible Futures

Space Solar Power: Key to a Livable Planet Earth June 10th, 2013

Global Nanotechnology Drug Delivery Market 2012-2016 June 10th, 2013

Nanorobot tetanus treatment animation June 9th, 2013

New horizons to drive the future of Medicine: European Technology Platform on Nanomedicine intends to lead the domain June 8th, 2013

Sensors

Sound waves precisely position nanowires June 19th, 2013

Imec presents 4K2K CMOS image sensor together with Panasonic: The co-developed imager sensor chip targets high speed, high resolution imaging applications such as next generation HDTV June 18th, 2013

Production of Polyaniline Biosensors Modified with Conductive Polymer Composites June 18th, 2013

Monell-led research identifies scent of melanoma: New research may lead to early non-invasive detection and diagnosis June 14th, 2013

Interviews/Book Reviews/Essays/Reports/Podcasts/Journals

A Battery Made of Wood? Wood fibers help nano-scale batteries keep their structure June 19th, 2013

Less is More: Novel Cellulose Structure Requires Fewer Enzymes to Process Biomass to Fuel June 19th, 2013

Production of Bioactive Material for Quick Treatment of Bone Damages June 19th, 2013

Pioneering breakthrough of chemical nanoengineering to design drugs controlled by light June 18th, 2013

Aerospace/Space

'Popcorn' particle pathways promise better lithium-ion batteries June 11th, 2013

Space Solar Power: Key to a Livable Planet Earth June 10th, 2013

Researchers enlist Cameca Nanosims Microprobe to determine origins of lunar water: Microprobes's results indicate water on Earth and Moon has similar origin June 4th, 2013

National Space Society Report On Annual Conference June 3rd, 2013