Todays' article in the Chicago Tribune about the lengthy waits for patenting that nanotech developers have to endure capped my week of expounding upon the wonders (and potential horrors) that are coming our way. The world as we know it will change SO completely it boggles my mind. What will it be called, this new age? Stephenson refers to it as the "Diamond" Age.
Or is the "2nd Atomic Age" more correct, as these products will be atomically perfect?
Boggle, boggle.
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As long as this technology results in self-cleaning socks and tastier tacos, I'll be happy. Oh, and it would be nice if they didn't one day become self-aware and rise up to rule us.
it's all so much hype altho i love the books and concept--- except for Supreme Hack GrandMaster Crichton's "Prey". I went to a couple of Chicago nano-tech conferences (sponsered by the office of hizzoner) in 2002 and it's right now at the 'better paint emulsifiers' and 'synthetic oils' level. Diamond Age stuff is centuries away...materials technology...now there's a major for college.
Yeah, it's a bit underwhelming to see that the most common use of nanotech is that it makes Dockers stain-resistant. But hopeully something will breakk and there will be some remarlable leaps.
We'll see. Despite Erik Drexler's protestations i read an article in Scientific American concerning nanobots. Something about energy and heat transference and the 2nd Law of Thermodynamics, making Stephenson's vision akin to living in an alternate universe.
I'm not so intrigue with bots as I am with manufacturing; computers, etc. How about solid state advances? Why can't we extrude components of larger machines, replacement joints...hell extrude super lihgt, unbreakable aircraft? No nanobots needed there beyond the production level. I just want to see the basics. I do want to read what you've read regarding the thermodynamic issues. The bots can come along whenever..I think there's aps that can benefit now. Not just Dockers.
http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?chanID=sa002&articleID=00029E0B-34C6-14C0-AFE483414B7F4945
there's more up there too, just search the SA website...
mortesqy!!! your word verif
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