Table of Contents
There’s Nothing Small about Nanotechnology
http://nano.xerox.com/nano
See
http://nano.xerox.com/nanotech/talks
for an index of talks
The best technical introduction to molecular nanotechnology:
Nanosystems by K. Eric Drexler,
Wiley 1992
Sixth Foresight Conference on Molecular Nanotechnology
November 12-15
Santa Clara, CA
www.foresight.org/Conferences
Seventh Elba-Foresight Conference on Nanotechnology
April, 1999
Rome, Italy
www.foresight.org/Conferences
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Today’s manufacturing methods move atoms in great thundering statistical herds
The principles of physics, as far as I can see, do not speak against the possibility of maneuvering things atom by atom. It is not an
attempt to violate any laws; it is something, in principle, that can be done; but in practice, it has not been done because we are too
big.
Richard Feynman, 1959
Most interesting structures that are at least substantial local minima on a potential energy surface can probably be made one way or another.
Richard Smalley
Nobel Laureate in Chemistry, 1996
Nanotechnology
(a.k.a. molecular manufacturing)
Terminological caution
Born-Oppenheimer approximation
Quantum positional uncertainty in the ground state
Quantum uncertainty in position
Molecular mechanics
Example: H2
Molecular mechanics
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Two more fundamental ideas
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Illustration of an assembler
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A C program that prints out an exact copy of itself
English translation:
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How cheap?
How strong?
How long?
Developmental pathways
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Self assembled DNA octahedron
(Seeman)
DNA on an SPM tip
(Lee et al.)
Buckytubes
(Tough, well defined)
Bucky tube glued to SPM tip
(Dai et al.)
Building the tools to build the tools
Diamond Physical Properties
A hydrocarbon bearing
A planetary gear
A proposal for a molecular positional device
Classical uncertainty
A numerical example of classical uncertainty
Molecular tools
Synthesis of diamond today:
diamond CVD
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Some other molecular tools
A synthetic strategy for the synthesis of diamondoid structures
The impact of molecular manufacturing
depends on what’s being manufactured
How powerful?
Space
It costs less to launch less
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A revolution in medicine
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Clinical trials
to evaluate cryonics
Today’s choice:
would you rather join
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Environmental impact depends on
Molecular nanotechnology and the environment
Nanotechnology and energy
Nanotechnology and the environment
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Author: Ralph C. Merkle
Email: merkle@merkle.com
Home Page: http://www.merkle.com
The Power Point version of this talk is available.
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