Nano Technology Innovation

Nano Technology Innovation

The future of Nano Technology includes advances in circuitry and medical technology. Below are some innovations currently being sought using nano-technology. The video has a few additional items as well.

Nanotubes

Nanotubes are hollow cylinders made of carbon atoms. Doctors could someday use them as miniscule syringes for injecting cells with drugs from within the body, or as nanoscale diagnostic probes the patient would never feel. They can also be filled and sealed, forming test tubes or potential drug delivery devices. Here, an array of nanotubes engage in what their creators at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory call “impalefection,” the capturing of genetic materials by impaling cells (a hamster’s ovary cells in this case). In the future, nanotubes could help identify DNA mutations associated with a risk of cancer.

Nanowire

This glowing silica nanowire is wrapped around human hair. It looks delicate—it is about five times smaller than a virus—but it is several times stronger than spider silk. Researchers have developed coated nanowires that bind to certain proteins that can indicate the presence of prostate cancer before conventional tests can. Other potential applications for nanowires include the early sensing of breast and ovarian malignancies. Nanowires are so small that doctors could one day implant them into the body as permanent health detectives that continuously monitor molecular levels.

Nanoshells

Nanoshells are hollow silica spheres covered with gold. Scientists can attach antibodies to their surfaces, enabling the shells to target certain cells such as cancer cells. In mouse tests, Naomi Halas's research team at Rice University directed infrared radiation through tissue and onto the shells, causing the gold to superheat and destroy tumor cells while leaving healthy ones intact. Technicians can control the amount of heat with the thickness of the gold (three different thicknesses are seen here) and the kind of laser. Nanoshells could one day also be filled with drug-containing polymers. Heating them would cause the polymers to release a controlled amount of the drug. Human trials using gold nanoshells are slated to begin in a couple of years.

Nano technology is expected to provide many advances in the medical and electronics fields. Here are some of those predictions!

Entertainment-on-demand

Delta Airlines On Demand Entertainment

The report item that I reflected on was the E-Commerce with a focus on entertainment on demand. When I look at my Netflix account, I see all of the capabilities that I enjoy on demand. As long as I have a connection on my computer or HDTV, I can access any video, television show or movie that is available in their library. I can even view a movie that I want while my kids view one in another room without movie piracy issues. While the article mentions application downloads by Apple for videos and music content, the items are still protected so that they can be licensed to one device. If I purchase a song or video, I should be able to watch it on any device I wish, I own the download. The article goes on to state that BitTorrent is organizing the entertainment industry to deliver movies and TV shows online while Turner Entertainment is using holographic discs to store movies. Technology Forecasts by experts with a 80% confidence: From Promise to Mainstream by suggest that major improvements in online entertainment availability will take off over the next three years. With the scalability of IT frameworks, it will only be a matter of time before we see the disappearance of modern day cable television.

The Future of Nanotechnology with Podcast

Nanotechnology is the science and application of creating objects on a level smaller than 100 nanometers.  The extreme concept of nanotechnology is the "bottom up" creation of virtually any material or object by assembling one atom at a time.  Although nanotech processes occur at the scale of nanometers, the materials and objects that result from these processes can be much larger.

Nanotechnology spans and merges disciplines dealing with matter at the micro level (physics, chemistry, and biology) with those dealing with matter at the macro level (engineering, materials science and computer science).

Basic nanomachines are already in use. Nanobots will be the next generation of nanomachines. Advanced nanobots will be able to sense and adapt to environmental stimuli such as heat, light, sounds, surface textures, and chemicals; perform complex calculations; move, communicate, and work together; conduct molecular assembly; and, to some extent, repair or even replicate themselves

Nanotechnology has the potential to completely revolutionize the electronics industry.  Nanomachines may some day create computer circuits from the “bottom up” -- one atom at a time. This would allow the manufacturing of nanochips on a much smaller scale than chips created with current “top down” etching techniques.  Nanocrystalline processes can also be used to grow electronics components.  For example: (1) carbon nanotubes grown in targeted micro-environments can have super-conductive properties; and (2) nanowires as small as strings of atoms can be grown like crystals and then assembled into circuits.  Circuits created atom-by-atom or grown using nanocrystalline techniques will be much smaller, lighter, efficient, cooler, stronger, and faster than circuits made with conventional manufacturing processes.

In the telecommunications industry, nanotechnology will play an important role in the coming years particularly with respect to fiber optics.  Nanocrystalline materials can be made with finer resolution than standard fibers for enhanced optic cables, switches, lenses and junctions.  In telecommunications more generally, the fields of nanotechnology and holotechnology will overlap in the design of the projection screens and user interfaces of the next generations of holographic cell phones, “Holographones,” and televisions, “HoloTVs.”.Virtual Reality

The Podcast for this Blog is located at the following link:

http://www.filefactory.com/file/ca1187d/n/NanoTech_Podcast.mp3

Google Docs, Forms and Surveys Web 2.0

Among the many activities I keep busy with in my life, I manage properties exclusively for military and government personnel that travel or are permanently assigned to other areas that don’t allow them to effectively rent and manage day to day activities for their home. I utilize many electronic methods for managing a client’s property. Most administrative items are accomplished online to include money disbursements and billing activity which is delivered to my customers on the Google Documents area of my Gmail account.

Google Docs is a web-based service where you can create, store and share documents, spreadsheets and presentations.  You can work on your own or collaboratively.  You can also import docs from MS Office and Open Office. The presentation tool also has a chat feature built in that allows me to collaborate with my clients if they have questions or concerns.

I deliver all of my client’s monthly statements and scan in expenses, receipts and bank deposits directly to the Google Docs forum and then choose the sharing settings so that clients can only view or download their activity specific to their property.

Because I do this all on line, I save money and time on mailing and postage. Customers love it because they have instant access to current and historical data such as contracts and agreements related to their property. Some have requested that I provide access to their accountant so that they can streamline their tax preparation. When you are stationed overseas, this is a great method for collaboration.

Other Google Docs tools include Google Forms and Google Surveys.

A great educational tool called Google Forms, allow students to administer surveys electronically and receive instant results. Students can take interest or opinion surveys such a listing their top ten favorite websites. The form tool enables you to create forms that are posted on the web. As users enter the data, it appears immediately in your spreadsheet.

This survey from Google has several advantages over other free survey programs: You can create “unlimited” questions; most free programs limit the questions to ten. In addition, an unlimited number of people can respond to this survey; on the other hand, free survey programs limit the response to a hundred people. Perhaps the biggest advantage is that the results are always available; meanwhile, for other free survey programs the results are not available after ten days unless the author subscribes to the expensive service.  

See more on this technology at:

https://sites.google.com/a/share.epsb.ca/learning-with-web-2-0-technology--lwt-aisi/Home/voki

Integrated Microsystems

It is predicted that over the next five years, chemical, optical, fluidic, biological, and mechanical components are will be able to be integrated with computational logic in designing the commercial chip. Measurement and instrumentation technologies are expected to be some of the most significant areas for short-term advancements with enabling effects. Biotechnology research and production, sensors and various chemical synthesis capabilities are all expected to be significantly improved by these emerging advances by 2015. Entire systems like satellites and automated laboratory processing equipment for example, may have integrated components at a microscale and will be built at a portion of the cost of existing macroscale systems. This will revolutionize sensing and processing information for a range of civilian and/or military applications. Advances could also permit proliferation of presently controlled processing capabilities (IE, separation of the nuclear isotope).

One factor that contributes to its success is the significant cost savings the technology delivers which makes it worth the investment. Microscale components are cheaper and surprisingly more durable than current technologies. With R&D budgets strained, it makes sense to investigate the viability of the technology.

Logistical considerations are expected to drive manufacturing and production of integrated microscale systems. The ability to design and engineer more capabilities in specific chip technology provides architects more space to integrate more technology. This allows more options for emerging microscale amalgamation.

The RAND Corporation is a nonprofit institution that helps improve policy and decision making through research and analysis.

Rand will not allow posting of their publications to any non-Rand site.

For a copy of the Global Technology Report, click here. http://www.rand.org/pubs/monograph_reports/MR1307.html

To look at the relevant topic that I discussed without the download, click on this link. http://www.rand.org/pubs/monograph_reports/MR1307/MR1307.sum.html

Use of Radical Materials

The past 10 years has seen many significant advances in our capability to develop materials with increasing precision at this scale.  The result is radical materials – materials that far outperform conventional materials in their strength, lightness, conductivity, ability to transmit heat, and a whole host of other characteristics.  Many of these are still at the research stage.  However; as requirements for high performance materials continue to be in demand everywhere from medical devices to advanced microprocessors as well as safe, efficient cars to pilot space flight, the development and use of radical materials will become more common.  In particular, watch out for products based on carbon nanotubes.

Forces that would support the research would include technical and governmental. For obvious reasons, technology drives the requirements and governments interest in supplying resources for new technologies would benefit society as a whole.

Inhibiting forces could include social/political. Many groups see advances in technologies that include research to support non natural creations as risky and are more likely to protest against further advances.

Open collaboration on this technology type would be appropriate and beneficial between those that understood the context and application. Scientific and governmental interests in developing new types of materials is well expected and received in those communities.

Reference Link: http://2020science.org/2009/12/25/ten-emerging-technology-trends-to-watch/#ixzz1BzoM6hZq

Ted Talks - Ze Frank's Web Playroom

"On the web, a new "Friend" may be just a click away, but true connection is harder to find and express. Ze Frank presents a medley of zany Internet toys that require deep participation -- and reward it with something more nourishing. You're invited, if you promise you'll share."

I took a look at a different perspective in social networking as presented by Ze Frank. Ze presents a wide range of collaboration via the Internet which allows people all over the globe to socially interact on special topics that they can choose from. Ze introduces a topic and acts as the moderator for the cases he presents; however anyone can accomplish this on their own. The main requirement for people who are interested is to participate in the activities.

The technologies and capabilities delivered and broadcasted allow for a different type of social networking. Facebook for example allows individuals to interact through posts of words, photos & videos and shared links much like what Ze is showing the audience. However what is proposed in the Internet Playroom is an added ability to “socialize” interactively without everyone knowing who you are.

“The Internet is first and foremost a communication technology, with the potential to change peoples’ social interaction.” (Shklovski, Kiesler & Kraut 2006) There is a belief that there are physiological, sociological and medical benefits for people and patients to interact in a forum that presents no form of criticality or negative judgment that is often experienced in a face to face social setting. The Internet provides more individuality as an equal without common social barriers and social class challenges that would inhibit interaction behaviors.

The interaction innovation delivered by Ze allows us that ability to further research similar technologies that are prevalent in this class. The CS855 Futuring of technology so far includes 2^nd life, blogging, and the use of social media resources that allow the delivery of collaboration at a different level.

Two question- points to take away from this discussion:

1.      What other benefits can be realized by people or businesses through the social collaboration and interaction using the Internet?

2.      What additional capabilities can be developed and delivered to encourage social interaction for people, patients and businesses?

References:

Shklovski, I., Kiesler, S., & Kraut, R. (2006). The Internet and social interaction. In M. B. Kraut & S. Kiesler (Eds.), Computers, phones, and the Internet (pp. 251-264). New York: Oxford University Press.