NWN Nanoword Newsletter 1 - Nanotechnology

NWN - NanoWord Newsletter #1

March 24, 2002

* Word of the Week: 'Nanotechnology'
* Latest Additions

- Industry Reports: Lux v/s NOR
- Interview with Rocky Rawstern
- Article Archives

* Thank you Paul
* References

Hi, Steve Lenhert here welcoming you to the first official issue of the NanoWord Newsletter. Nanoword.net is still under construction so please email me ( steve@quantumcad.com ) if you run into any missing links, poorly defined terms, have any other feedback, just want to say hello, etc. Lets begin with the motivation behind this newsletter:

The transdisciplinary nature of nanotechnology requires that scientists from differentiated disciplines [1] are able to accurately communicate with precisely defined terminology [2]. Further complicating the situation is the fact that nanotechnology is not only science, but a real technology, which brings business/economics [3], social sciences [4], and even the (very) fine arts [5] into the picture. The potential impact of nanotechnology on our everyday lives has been likened to the impact of electricity [6], illustrating the importance of being able to discuss nanotech-related concepts across and beyond scientific and industrial boundaries. Therefore, the purpose of nanoword.net is to define and use nanoterminology [7].

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* Word of the Week: 'Nanotechnology'

'Nanotechnology' has been one of the more difficult nanowords to pin down. Norio Taniguchi first used the word in 1974 to refer to "production technology to get the extra high accuracy and ultra fine dimensions, i.e. the preciseness and fineness on the order of 1 nm (nanometer), 10^-9 meter in length" [8]. The term has since evolved to mean everything from 'the science of manipulating atoms and molecules' [9] to 'the synthesis of novel life forms' [10]. This variety has resulted in some entertaining debates between the haves and the have-nots (i.e. those who have nanotechnology - biologists & chemists, and those who do not - mechanical engineers). On the left side of the ring is the MNT community, planning to change the very nature of our existence by means of self-replicating nanorobots [11]. On the right side of the ring are the heavyweight biotech and chemical industries [12] who continue to steadily and reliably improve our quality of life. Realizing that a revolution of some sort is underway, quantum engineering transcends the rhetoric [13].

Perhaps the most widely accepted definition of nanotechnology to date appears on the NASA website: 'The creation of functional materials, devices and systems through control of matter on the nanometer length scale (1-100 nanometers), and exploitation of novel phenomena and properties (physical, chemical, biological) at that length scale.' [14] However, the terms 'novel' and 'exploit' in this definition seem ambiguous and superfluous. For instance, many nanotechnologies are neither new (e.g. nanoparticles in ancient mesoamerican paint [15]) nor unique to the nanoscale (e.g. self-assembly can be carried out at a variety of scales [16]). Furthermore, a fish might 'exploit' fluid dynamics in order to swim, but that does not make swimming a technology (or does it? [17]). To be on the safe side with this, the most important of the nanowords, I define nanotechnology as 'The application of nanoscience in order to control processes on the nanometer scale, i.e. between 0.1 nm and 100 nm.'
http://www.nanoword.net/library/def/nanotechnology.htm

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* Latest Additions

------- Industry Reports: Lux v/s CMP -------

The first two publications have hit the shelves of the nanoword bookstore. The first was published 7 months ago by Lux Capital - 'The Nanotech Report' ($4795). It's now being rivaled by the newer, cheaper and more global 'Nanotechnology Opportunity Report' ($1995) - published this month by CMP Cientifica. Interestingly, the producers of both products have started monthly periodical reports this month. If your planning on buying one of these industrial documents, and wish to support my efforts with nanoword.net, you can order them from nanoword.net. More details, reviews, tables of contents, cover images, PDFs and order forms are available on the orders page.

http://www.nanoword.net/orders/

And if you find a cheaper price elsewhere (e.g. what's up with the $200 discount for 'Vcapital users'?), then write to steve@quantumcad.com and we'll do our best to match it.

------- Interview with Rocky Rawstern -------

By now we've all heard plenty about the potential of nanotechnology from scientists, engineers, capitalists, entrepreneurs, and countless others, but what does the unbiased public want and expect from nanotechnology? Who really wants to live forever in a virtual reality, without doing any useful work? What kind of future is our day-to-day progress leading us to? Rocky Rawstern is a well informed member of the public, and editor of my pick for the best nanotech website on the net today. Rocky addresses public expectations, media spin and 'the singularity'.

http://www.nanoword.net/library/weekly/031702.htm

------- Article Archives -------

Archives of nanotech feature articles are beginning to appear at the url below. The latest titles to be added are: Molecular Electronics, Interview With Tim Harper, Alchemy - The Next Generation, Electrons - from Microscopy to Lithography, Mechanical VLSI, Nanotech Education, Surface Wetting, Nanoscale Chemistry, Quantum Biology, Biomolecular Self-Assembly, Seeing Things Smaller Than Light, Quantum Dots and DNA Mediated Energy Transfer.

http://www.nanoword.net/library/weekly/

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* Thank you Paul

Acknowledgment - Thank you Paul Holister at CMP-Cientifica for the semantic discussions and help in defining: Bottom-up, Buckminsterfullerene, Buckyball, Fullerene, Genomics, Grey Goo, Lithography, MEMS, Moore's Law, Nanometre, Nanotube, NEMS, nm - nanometer, Photolithography, Proteomics, Quantum Dot, Self-assembly, Soft lithography, Top down, and VC.

http://www.cmp-cientifica.com/cientifica/frameworks/generic/public_users/tnt_weekly/glossary.htm

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* References

[1] "Most progress in nanoscale science and technology results from research involving various combinations of Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Engineering and Computer Science." - Interdisciplinary Nanoscience http://www.nanoword.net/library/weekly/aa100100b.htm

[2] "I am a stickler for being exact in our communications because if we do not have the same definitions then we can not communicate accurately and if we can not accurately communicate then we can not progress." - JP Siepmann, Editor, 'Definition of Science' Journal of Theoretics, Vol.1-3 Aug/Sept 1999 Editorial http://www.journaloftheoretics.com/Editorials/Vol-1/e1-3.htm

[3] 'Almost every industry will be impacted by nanotechnology' - The Nanotech Report ( http://www.nanoword.net/orders/the_nanotech_report.htm ); 'It is generally agreed that nanotechnology will be a huge market' - The Nanotechnology Opportunity Report ( http://www.nanoword.net/orders/NOR.htm )

[4] Societal Implications of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology
http://itri.loyola.edu/nano/NSET.Societal.Implications/

[5] Nanoword Art Gallery
http://www.nanoword.net/library/img/

[6] "Nanotechnology is often called the new Internet, but its repercussions will be felt much more widely than that. I would liken it more to the invention of the telephone, or even the discovery of electricity." - Tim Harper
http://www.nanoword.net/library/weekly/aa070401a.htm

[7] The Nanotech Dictionary is available online at ( http://www.nanoword.net/def ); Encyclopedia Nanotech is located at ( http://www.nanoword.net/def/library )

[8] Norio Taniguchi, "On the Basic Concept of 'NanoTechnology'" 1974 Proc. ICPE

[9] "Nanotechnology: The science of manipulating molecules and atoms to create precise structures." - Zyvex Glossary
http://www.zyvex.com/Publications/glossary.html

[10] "The principal fear is that it may be possible to create a new life form, a self-replicating nanoscale robot, a nanobot." - R. E. Smalley
http://itri.loyola.edu/nano/NSET.Societal.Implications/