three Stanford researchers proposed that a new state, called the quantum spin Hall effect, could be realized without applying an external magnetic field. Since quantum wells in mercury telluride/cadmium telluride sheets can be readily fabricated, it is possible to experimentally test the theoretical predictions of Zhang, Bernevig and Hughes. A research group at the University …
James Benford a space engineer who worked on the problem of trying to use fusion for space propulsion indicates in comments related to project Daedalus The Daedalus concept was based on the electron-beam-driven inertial confinement fusion (ICF) concept introduced by Friedhart Winterberg around 1970 and peaked around the time of the BIS study. That means …
The race to build an exotic material with a negative refractive index for visible light has been won by a team of researchers in Germany. The demonstration could open the door to a new generation of optical devices such as superlenses able to see details finer then the wavelength of visible light. Dolling’s metamaterial is …
University of Washington researchers can control the movement of a humanoid robot with signals from a human brain. Rajesh Rao, associate professor of computer science and engineering, and his students have demonstrated that an individual can “order” a robot to move to specific locations and pick up specific objects merely by generating the proper brain …
In Physical Review Letters, Oxford student Avinash Kolli and his coauthors suggest a new way to create entanglement, by identifying two different stable states of a quantum dot (call them ‘A’ and ‘B’) and then targeting two such dots simultaneously with a laser. A lot of work still needs to be done to flesh out …
An example of popular media where molecular nanotechnology and the NNI definition of nanotechnology are intermingled is Better Investing magazine. They have an article about nanotechnology today and tomorrow. It is a two page article which first starts by referencing the Engines of Creation book and Eric Drexler and then goes to mention the National …
In the latest Fortune magazine, Jeffrey Immelt, CEO of General Electic said to his R&D labs: “I went and said Molecular medicine- we’re going to own it. Nanotechnology-we’re going to own it This was in response to the question: You’ve invested hundreds of millions in the R&D labs at GE, but there’s more to it …
FDA proposes investigational drug rule to make it easier for those with no other treatment option to try drugs that have not been approved yet. This relates to the post today about CNN’s Anderson Coopers 360 weeklong question of how far will you go for health and wellbeing Brian WangBrian Wang is a Futurist Thought …
India is targeting 24 GW on nuclear power by 2020 and 50 GW by 2030. Two thirds of the nuclear fuel should be thorium. As per the present plan of the Bhabha Atomic Research Corporation (BARC) and the Nuclear Power Corporation, the capacity by 2020 is expected to be increased to 24,000 MW. ‘There is …
Virginia Tech researchers used novel methodology and the university’s System X supercomputer to carry out what is probably the first simulation that explores full range of motions of a DNA strand of 147 base pairs, the length that is required to form the fundamental unit of DNA packing in the living cells — the nucleosome. …
From Eric Drexler’s website (e-drexler.com), is Eric’s comment on the first report from the National Academies Molecular Manufacturing. (pdf through link) I had previously commented in Sept, 2006 about the release of the NNI report Eric Drexler’s Comment on the report In its conclusion, the committee notes that it is difficult to analyze complex systems …