NANO BOMBS

From technology review comes the story of the Nano bomb.
As if there wasn't enough destructive power out there already. Well it seems that with funding from the U.S. government, Sandia National Laboratories, the Los Alamos National Laboratory, and the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory are trying to figure out how to manipulate the flow of energy within and between molecules, a field known as nanoenergentics. This would enable the building more lethal weapons such as "cave-buster bombs" that have several times the detonation force of conventional bombs such as the "daisy cutter" or MOAB (mother of all bombs).
No doubt it also means that once the "Boys in the Middle East" have finished, they will be sent somewhere else to get rid of all the outdated technology lying around the place. However if it means no need for an atomic or neuclear device then maybe its better, right? er nope.

The power of the weapons is increased by adding materials known as superthermites that combine nanometals such as nanoaluminum with metal oxides such as iron oxide. However this technology can also been used not just for warfare but under water explosives or for fuel in rockets. One other advantage is it seems to do away with the tons of lead been left lying around place after any engagement. While reading the story I had to say I found it bizzare that really what is been discussed and researched is faster ways of killing basically.
However instead of replacing what us common joe and janes know as neuclear weaponary in fact the just make them smaller, stronger, and a lot more dangerous if they fall into the wrong hands. I gotta say it even though people with dollars will make a ton of money out of this, its the side of Nano that I dont really like.

How small again is a Nanometer????

Here are some interesting measurements I have found while browsing around. It really helps to put in perspective just how small these things are we are talking about. I have also discovered there seem to be two distinct strands in this field and If I understand it correct it is as follows.
1 Big Machines make little machines........not to much to worry about there.
2 Little machines make little machines........this lead to the grey goo theory which has since been discounted but the thought was that nano machines would gain enough intelligence to either recreate or perhaps even reproduce. Daft thought really until you think it's been the basis for many a StarTrek series.
Right back to basics. What is a nanometer and why it is important. Well here's the explanation.....One billionth of a meter, 100 to 10,000 times smaller than a human cell
Each nanometer is only 3 to 5 atoms wide


A meter is about the distance from the tip of your nose to the end of your hand (1 meter = 3.28 feet).

One thousandth of that is a millimeter.

one thousandth of that, and you have a micron: a thousandth of a thousandth of a meter. Put another way: a micron is a millionth of a meter, which is the scale that is relevant to - for instance - building computers, computer memory, and logic devices.

Ah but hold it, because that is not nano scale, we are not there yet

A nanometer is one thousandth of a micron, and a thousandth of a millionth of a meter (a billionth of a meter).

Basically 75 to a hundred times smaller than a virus. 1 inch = 25,400,000 nanometers

So you can see why eventually, even though if it happened slowly and you lost your nano machine somewhere in the forest, that the possibility of this grey goo was considered.
Q1. What is nano technology?

"A1. Nano refers to the length scales involved, the nanometer or 10-9 meters length scale, where systems consist of only a few hundred or so atoms. Nanotechnology is a fundamentally new and different way of thinking about the creation of devices and systems. It is really a building of functionality from the most fundamental level of matter upward to the macroscopic system. More specifically, nanotechnology is the creation and utilization of materials, devices, and systems through the control of matter on the nanometer-length scale - the ability to engineer matter at the level of atoms, molecules, and supramolecular structures - and the generation of larger structures with fundamentally new molecular organizations exhibiting novel physical, chemical, and biological properties and phenomena."

Sorry but those of you who visit here will know that this is not my writing style, unfortunately I have misplaced the nano link to the person who wrote it. Suffice to say you guys in Nano tech may know what you doing but you sure as hell find the longest winded way in world to say it. As for some of the press releases? Well I did come across one from a certain governer's office where obviously a very well intending typist, who clearly never heard of nanotechnology changed nm to mm. Now I don't know about you but I wouldn't want something 300mm wide put into my blood stream. (while you here do feel free to click on the adds ) All questions and comments will be gladly answered.
Collie

NANOTECHNOLOGY BUSINESS

Given the field of Nanotechnology is so vast there are bound to many different industries involved. I decided to take a quick look at some business moves and shakes to give you a feel of just how active things are in the area at the moment.
Again I am not going to apply any particualar order but as the site grows I will eventually do up a list of the top ten movers and shakers in the industry and the top ten personalities.From the PRNewswire.com comes the news that Ener1 announced that it has declared a dividend to its shareholders in the form of a distribution of five million shares of common stock of Splinex Technology Inc. This is to do with a previously announced merger agreement, under which a non-active subsidiary of Ener1 will be merged into Splinex Technology. Splinex Technology is a developer of multi- dimensional, visual computing software and technology. Ener1 develops and markets nanotechnology-based materials through its NanoEner, Inc. subsidiary and fuel cell components and testing services through its EnerFuel, Inc. subsidiary. Ener1's products have applications for markets that include power tools and industrial equipment, medical devices, hybrid vehicle propulsion and military communications. It is also interested in clean efficient sources of energy.

Coming from the Daily Nexus which is the UCSB student mag on line, we learn that for the eight year in a row UCSB have received external funding for research worth over $160 million. It’s a 12% jump on last years funding and according to sources, has to do with Campus research becoming more prestigious. There seem to be a number of groups willing to throw money at research into the field of Nano especially the Military and other Federal Agencies.

Industrial Nanotech Inc., an aspiring world leader in nanotechnology-based solutions, announces that the Company is in the process of completing an application to become listed on the Over-the-Counter ;Pink Sheets market under the stock ticker symbol INTK. Industrial Nanotechs premier products include patent-pending Nansulate(TM), an industrial-grade liquid-applied insulation and corrosion inhibitor with revolutionary performance characteristics. Here for more on this news.

Atlas Mining Company, has entered into a strategic relationship to develop high value applications for the unique hollow microtubules currently being produced at the Dragon Mine in Juab County, Utah. NanoDynamics, headquartered in Buffalo, NY, will begin purchasing Halloysite clay from Atlas immediately in order to create commercial applications for this novel material. The Dragon Mine halloysite has a unique tubular quality, not unlike a grain of rice, only considerably smaller and hollow. The halloysite microtubules can act as a time-release capsule, dissolving over time, and can be filled with such things as antifouling paint, antiscalants, herbicides, pest repellents, and other agents which could benefit from a controlled release. Remember all the dot com hype that we had late 80s early 90’s well it might be about to happen again but this time Nano.com. The Chicago Tribune recently published a report that the National Venture Capital Association is predicting 2005 will bring a strong return of investment in start-up companies. The group's president, Mark Heesen, noted in a press release that many venture capitalists will have new money to invest in the new year. With so many mergers and so much research going on, it is not implausible to think many of these investors will be looking to Nanotechnology.
Hansen Gray & Company, Inc.is a publicly-traded venture capital firm based in Atlanta, Georgia. The firm's management has substantial experience in all areas of investment banking, specializing in mergers and acquisitions, with an emphasis on emerging technologies including nanotechnology. They have just received the final part of a $2.5 million financing package. Lucky them I say. Actually they are involved with nanotechnology cooling systems for microchips. The funds are scheduled for use to further the development and commercialization of the Company's nanotechnology-based cooling system for PCs and notebook computers."
Accelrys, Inc. a leading provider of software for computation, simulation and the management and mining of scientific data used by biologists, chemists and materials scientists, including nanotechnology researchers for product design as well as drug discovery and development, have recently announced that it granted options to purchase its common stock to 3 individuals who commenced employment during November 2004. A total of 3,500 options were granted at an exercise price ranging from $6.40 to $6.76.

ObjectSoft Corp. announced that it has received investments totaling $250,000. In addition, it announced that it has invested the funds in a new Nanotechnology venture in partnership with Terra Solar Development Corp. A new website is under construction for OS and when its up I will link you to it.

More good news on the medical front Nippon Kayaku Co., Ltd. has signed an exclusive license agreement with NeoPharm for the Japanese development rights for IL13-PE38QQR, generically known as cintredekin besudotox, which is NeoPharm's lead drug candidate for the treatment of malignant cells.. It is basically a tumour-targeting molecule (interleukin-13) and a cytotoxic agent that manage to make cancerous cells self-destruct.

An IBM-led consortium of high-tech companies from across the globe - marking another step in the Governor George E. Pataki ‘s goal of making New York a worldwide leader in university-based research, business development, and job creation, has invested $2.5 Billion, yes billon dollars in research and investment.

This investment includes Sony's investment into the new IBM leading edge 300nm wafer chip making plant, while IBM and its international partners will work jointly on some of the most advanced semiconductor development programs in the world. IBM and a group of the largest equipment suppliers in nanoelectronics that includes TEL and Applied Materials intend to invest an unprecedented $450 million to expand the research and development capabilities of the Albany Center of Excellence in Nanoelectronics.

Nano-Proprietary, Inc., or rather its subsidiary, Applied Nanotech, Inc. (ANI), has entered into a research and development agreement with KRI, Inc. to develop a hydrogen sensor for automotive fuel cell applications. KRI, Inc. is the research and development subsidiary of Osaka Gas Co. Ltd., the second largest gas utility company in Japan. All press release papers and other information is available from http://www.sec.gov/

Emergency Filtration Products, Inc. has entered into an exclusive, long term importation agreement with its partner, Itochu Techno Chemical Inc. whereby Itochu will distribute the company’s RespAide, Vapor Isolation Valve and Series One Breathing Circuit Filter products in Japan.

Itochu is one of the worlds largest trading companies with revenues of over $85 Billion dollars in 2003. EFP’s filter system has produced filtration efficiencies of ’greater than 99.99%’ at a particulate size of 0.027 microns and they are used in the resusitation of respiratory or cardiac cases. Itochu will work alongside its partner/affiliate Senko Medical Instrument Mfg. Co. Ltd.

Nano tech countries

There seems to be absolutely no doubt that national governments, multinationals and generally anyone with a wad of cash is chasing the gold at the end of the Nanotechnology rainbow. Francois D'Aubert the French Governments minister for research has recently stated that funding will increase 150% to €70million. With this investment the French Government has made Nanotechnology a national priority. Most of the funding is being ploughed into the Government funded CEA. This is the industry and Nuclear group based in Grenoble. The Economy and unemployment figures may have something to do with sudden increase. Given that in some regions in the South of France up to 15% of the working population are faced with unemployment, and that due to restrictive taxes many multinationals are moving across French borders to places like Belgium and Switzerland, that perhaps the French see this as a long term escape plan.
But they face huge competition from of all places Germany. Germany currently houses more than half of the nanotechnology companies of Europe, and is only second to the United States in terms of patent applications in the fields of Nanotechnology.

Perhaps this is one of the reasons that the Tegal Corporation, a leading designer and manufacturer of plasma etch and deposition systems used in the production of integrated circuits and nanotechnology devices, recently announced that it had moved its European headquarters to Thiendorf, near Dresden, from Munich, Germany. All European sales, service and support will be directed out of this new location. In addition, Tegal intends to expand its infrastructure there to support some assembly and test operations.

"Silicon Saxony" as it is now being called is one of the leading locations for R&D in high-end production of microelectronics in Europe. Tegal’s new neighbours will be companies as Infineon, ZMD, AMD and DuPont Photronics. Three Universities of Technology and five Universities of Applied Sciences, along with the highest concentration of public R&D institutes in Germany contribute to a large, highly skilled and affordable work force available to anyone looking to make progress in the field.

So it seems that it just might be un petit peu trop tard for the French government and that Germany will once again become an economic power house of Europe.
Europe itself however, has plenty of competition around the world and the Chinese are certainly no slouches when it comes to jumping onto the nanotech bandwagon. Lets face it they were already on it back in the mid 1980’s when they started funding research into Nano sciences. In the late 90’s they started a national key basic research project ‘Nanomaterial and Nanostructure', to continually support the basic research on nanomaterials such as nanotubes.

China has planned to spend USD250-300 million within the current five-year plan (2001-2005). More aggressive initiatives are about to launch. The National Center for NanoScience and Technology of China (NCNST) is currently being built near the Peking University , Tsinghua University , and the Chinese Academia of Sciences (CAS) and is expected to finish in 2 years. The government has allocated USD33 million for building this National Research Center . But they are actually still way behind other developed countries. The National Center for Nanoscience and Technology of China (NCNST, http://www.nanoctr.cn/ ) is a newly established non-profit legal research entity and a state-run technological platform and research center for nanoscience and technology equipped with advanced facilities in nano-fabrication and characterization. After many years of bilateral conferences on Nanotechnology with countries such as Japan and Korea. The NCN now want to host an international conference on Nanotechnology.

The China Nano international conference will be held as a series conferences in China with the support of Ministry of Science and Technology of China, Ministry of Education of China , National Natural Science Foundation of China, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Engineering, China Association for Science and Technology , China National Accreditation Board for Laboratories .

Well hope you find the news somewhat useful and interesting and please don’t hesitate to click on my sponsors while you’re here. I’ll be back in nano while.

Some recent Breakthroughs

I should point out here, that what I am giving you is a condensed and selected view of recent breakthroughs and applications in the field of Nanotechnology.

Once again and forgive me for being blunt, but I am trying to dumb it down for the common Joe and Jane, and for myself as well. I am sure if any “experts” are reading out there you will correct any misunderstandings I might post.
So number 1 on the list for no particular reason other than it’s the first one I choose to write about is

BIOLOGICAL SENSORS FROM CARBON NANOTUBES

Well what is it and how does it work. These carbon nanotubes shine like a kids toy in the dark when they are exposed to infrared, another words they are fluorescent. Infra red also happens to make human tissue see through.
The tubes have been placed in a type of sheath made of enzymes that reacts with a particular chemical that enhances the fluorescence of the tubes.

“When glucose encounters the enzyme, hydrogen peroxide is produced, which quickly reacts with the ferricyanide to modulate the electronic structure and optical characteristics of the nanotube,” Strano said. “The more glucose that is present, the brighter the nanotube will fluoresce”

This particular device can be implanted into human tissue. However one thing that hasn’t been clearly explained is why the hell anyone would want to do this in first place. Okay it can be done but what for? Answers on a postcard please to here.

JIGSAW PUZZLES ::?????

While I started to read this one I had to laugh but then I realised that this is a pretty damn good development in the field of Nanotechnology that is centred in the field of medical applications. Apparently scientists at UCSB have managed to build tiny buildings and other beautiful structures using the folding principals of natural RNA.
What it means potentially is that nano circuits, medical implants, and improved medical testing may take place, using these principals and obviously the structures too. The group of Nano Architects see the possibility of being able to speed up the healing process of bones or other tissue using implants that are built on Nano scale.

NANOGEN
Now this is a company I have been reading a lot about. Recently that have been issued with a patent for Platinum silicide permeation layer device with microlocations," by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. It provides for a protective porous membrane layer, or permeation layer, to be deposited over microchip electrodes which are used for analysis of biological molecules for diagnostic applications.

A CURE FOR MALARIA? OR CANCER

Subra Suresh, graduate student John P. Mills and research scientist Ming Dao of MIT's Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Professor Joachim Spatz and Alexandre Micoulet of the University of Heidelberg, Professor C. T. Lim of NUS, and Professor Thomas Seufferlein and Mark Beil of the University of Ulm have basically discovered what happens to cells in human blood when they are attacked by Malaria. “Such information at the molecular level is vital to gain insights into the pathogenesis of malaria, and potentially offers the opportunity to develop better drugs," Suresh added. Precise measurements of infected cells' response to mechanical forces could also help doctors understand how different strains of the parasite influence the functioning of organs such as the spleen. Once again the team like others have used tools that have been developed through nanotechnology. You may not be planning on catching this disease soon, but it does kill two to three million people a year. Perhaps this advance can also be applied to other diseases that affect the blood stream.

Advances have also been made on how cancer may be treated in the future. doctors at Harvard medical school have been injecting magnetic nanoparticles to track tumours The millions of miniature metal balls flood the body and concentrate in healthy lymph nodes. Using medical imaging equipment, the scientists then scan cancer patients for the particles to see if their nodes are normal or malignant, which show a different pattern. This tells the doctors how far the disease has spread and influences how it is treated.

BUT ITS NOT ONLY MEDICINE

There I was wondering when I was going to find out where else advancements in Nano were being made when I came across this great article from the smalltimes.com. I just love the name. Basically it outlines how nanotechnology is being used from anything to do with barcoding right up to top secret defence and surveillance techniques. One of the recent problems has been the power supply for nano machines but now the University of Alaska has announced it has finally succeeded in producing complicated microelectronic devices. Each of these devices could in the future be so cheaply made that they could be implanted into almost every product made. What does it mean? Well now when you feel like stealing a book or a car it could be tracked by virtue of these tiny devices. Not only that, prisoners could be tracked by local police forces. Soldiers in the field of battle could have a tiny device fitted under their skin monitoring their well being. Even children could be tracked by parents. Obviously there is a whole bunch of questions around the right to privacy that this throws up but mark my words, George Owell was only 20 years early when he wrote his famous book and I imagine in the future it may be possible for a government to track every single citizen. Gulp I gotta say I don’t like the sound of that one. What if I happen to be going out with the Presidents daughter???

Nanotechnology Leader Zyvex Introduces Carbon Nanotube-Based Epoxy Concentrates

What can I say about this? Basically go to the web site and try figure it out yourself if you are interested in Epoxy-concentrates. I seem to remember somewhere that expoxy’s had something to do with glue but this press release gave me too little information to figure out why anyone would want whatever it is they have developed.

DOING A SPOT OF SHOPPING ?

Then you know surely what a barcode is. It can hold lot of information. Intermec Technologies Corp., introduced in December a revolutionary new bar code laser scanning technology that is more compact and reliable and offers longer product life than current bar code laser scan engines. Initial scan rates are five times faster than current mechanical motor-based laser scanners, with the capability to increase in future product generations to thousands of scans per second. This speed will allow precise high-speed scanning in two dimensions and will provide omni-directional reading of 1D and stacked bar-codes, as well as 2D raster scanning for matrix codes. You can read all about it at nanotechwire.com but I have basically given you the gist of it here.

MIXING LIQUIDS

Finally an NJIT professor discovers new mixing method for microchip-sized labs

Basically what this means is that if liquids can be mixed more efficiently then better medicines can be made.

“Everybody looks at creating turbulence in three dimensions to mix liquids," said team leader Nadine Aubry, PhD, Jacobus distinguished professor and chair of the mechanical engineering department at NJIT. "We traded space for time, which is a much simpler way to handle this problem when space is at a premium."

To demonstrate the method, Aubry used a "T" channel intersection whose segments were 200 microns wide by 120 microns deep – about twice the circumference of a human hair. Baically it means that purer test drugs can be made with less by products and perhaps less side effects too one hopes.

Well after that exhausting but by no means exhaustive list of developments I hope 2005 is treating you all well. Obviously Medicine is not the only area of development in Nano technology but it certainly seems to be one at the moment that is making most leaps forward. Stay tuned for another update soon.

Whats happening in the Human world of Nano

One of the many things I have noticed lately scanning through all the news sites is that there seems to be a lot of very important people being appointed to very important positions in a lot of companies.
In the University of California the Riverside research facility has recently appointed one Robb Drury as executive director of advanced operations. What does this mean? Well the guy is a money raiser and if you want to know more about his appointment which is effective from January 3^rd 2005 you can read about it here .
This appointment comes just after the same institution appointed one Marcia McQuern Appointed as their UCR Spokeswoman. This woman is a Former Editor and Publisher of The Press-Enterprise. They tell me she has been appointed to Oversee Campus Media Relations.

Meanwhile a particular law firm Sheppard Mullin has appointed a new guy, Jeff McKinney to deal with the notion of intellectual property in its San Francisco office. So what? I hear you say. Well this law firm employs over 400 lawyers and has offices in DC, New York and California so they are no small potatoes.
Ok so that’s only three appointments, a lawyer, a moneyman, and a PR agent. Now granted I may be adding two and two and getting anything but four, but it seems like the world of Nano is preparing itself slowly and surely, to take the world and perhaps the stock markets by storm. Given what I have already read, and I am sure in a few weeks time you will concur, there is definitely “gold in them thar hills”. Pity, wish I was in the situation to invest in one of two of these companies who persist in Dealing with the small stuff..

But it is not all. Yes there is more. Late in December of last year it was announced that the Acacia Research Corporation appointed one Dr Amit Kumar, CEO and President of CombiMatrix to the Board of the NanoBuisness Alliance. This is apparently the primary, or even premier, or how about number one association supporting the emerging nanotechnology field. Both organisations are pretty interesting so I have linked up to there websites just incase you want to learn more

I strongly suggest those of you who think many of the big companies in the world are getting too big and will break up in the future have a look at the NanoBuisnessAlliance. And anyone interested in how politics and business mix might like to know that one Newt Gingrich is heading it up along with venture capitalist Steve Jurveston of Draper Fisher Jurveston.

So let me make it clear if these are involved there must be billions floating around waiting to be made.

Well who are these companies and why would anyone want to invest? What’s it going to do for you and I? Well recently I read that traveni digital and mphase technologies have got together to enable mphase to sell a system that delivers Television down your phone line. So what? Well it basically means now that the individual customers “needs and requirements” will be catered to, faster, quicker, and more accurately than before. Whoopee for those of you who watch TV a lot and use phone lines for other things than talking. I haven’t quite figured out how Nano this technology is and I am sure I could if I spent time on either of the sites above. But its supposed to make the whole package cheaper too. I have promised myself to post up some of the latest developments in recent weeks and it may become more apparent to those of you who don't already know just how big this thing really is. But alas I am just the guide go have a look yourself if your interested.

I have promised myself to post up some of the latest developments in recent weeks and it may become more apparent to those of you who don't already know just how big this thing really is. Right oh. Back soon with more developments, mergers, breakthroughs and explanations. Wondering if you could make invisible paint with Nano technology?? I mean paint that makes things invisible?

How I first got interested in small stuff

How I first got interested in small stuff.

After reading Michael Conolly’s “Chasing the Dime"” I took an interest in what all this Nanotechnology stuff was. I did my research and decided that if there was anyone else even remotely like me in this world, then a common sense blog that could explain the small stuff in a small way, and perhaps ask bigger questions was a must. I didn’t find one so I went ahead and made it. I hope it is of some help in breaking down the discourse of power that has inevitably arisen in this field. After all if you don’t know what a bucky ball is, and I still am not sure, then you are hardly likely to invest in one are you? Well are you?

One thing is for sure its definitely not anything with which you could propose a new game for the next Olympics in China. Not without a great big microscope anyway.

So what is Nanotechnology?

Bascially its an all encompassing word that deals with things smaller than the head of a pin. No even smaller than that, smaller than a period or a full stop. No, even smaller than that again. Let me see, if you imagine a human hair is 50,000 strands weaved together then a Nano meter is one of those strands. Nano technology is a term for any technology or area of research that involves itself with things that are this small. Lets get that into perspective. It is not beyond the realms of possibility that in future small flying machines that escape from Laboritories will be able to pass right through a human being without anyone ever knowing, including the owner of the machine. Lets face it, if you have something that small, how do you know when you loose it?

“Nanotechnology is the ability to control or manipulate matter on the atomic scale, making it possible to create structures, devices and systems that have novel properties and functions because of their small size, approximately 1/10,000th the diameter of a human hair. Carbon nanotubes are extremely efficient at the transfer of heat, and are especially useful because of their small size, light weight, and mechanical strength.” [PRESS RELEASE Date Released: Wednesday, December 15, 2004

Source: Ames Research Center]

Yes there seems to be some conflicting evidence on how small a nano really is. Not that would be called Nanos but lets just say they are.

Why? I hear you ask would anyone want to bother? Well for a start, and let me put a quote in here,

“The emerging fields of nanoscience and nanoengineering are leading to unprecedented understanding and control over the fundamental building blocks of all physical things. It is likely to change the way almost everything - from vaccines to computers to automobile tires to objects not yet imagined - is designed and made."

-Interagency Working Group on Nanotechnology Report

Let me put it differently. Do you remember the end of the 1980’s? I mean really remember them? What did you do when you wanted to meet someone? Were you even aware of email? What the hell was text, ringtone, cell phone and mobile? How did any of us ever arrange to meet and do anything? In 1985 did you know windows were not for looking through but working with? A hard drive was 16 hours behind the wheel and no stopover. And an airbag was your uncle Walter telling you how it used to be in his day. Well sit up because here we are again. The same way the microchip has revolutionised the world, so too will the nano chip, when it finally gets made. This technology has the ability to be applied in every field if the will to apply it can be found. Given the smallest integrated circuit today is about 350 strands of the 50,000 that would make a human hair, (if one hair was made of 50,000 strands that is), the nanocomputer will be less than 100 nm. (nanometers is the term and I’d better start using it).

Almost all the pioneers of infotech business are into serious work on nanoelectronics.

In semiconductors, Intel and Advanced Micro Devices are working on 65 nm chips and beyond. Intel promises commercially available products by 2005 and AMD by 2006.

The Nanoelectronics Research Initiative over the next 15 years will create devices with features less than 10 nanometers -- or billionths of a meter -- in size, roughly 10 times smaller than in current state-of-the-art chips.

This also means that in 30 years or so when your daughter brings home her new boyfriend he will tell you (you hope) that his father made his money in Nano. A whole new language, a way of thinking, and certainly a way of living will arise as soon as the scientists and industrialists really get their act together. Are you ready for it? I know I am not but I am damn sure I will be as soon as I get my head around it all.

I promise once I know you will be first after me. Well ok maybe not the first but within the week ok?