In today's edition of The Telegraph, a Calcutta newspaper, nanotechnology is defined as:
...the projected ability to make things from the bottom up, using techniques and tools that are being developed today to place every atom and molecule in a desired place.
Sound familiar? That's because, word for word, it is the definition CRN wrote for our website.
Explaining this and more was Professor V. J. Gadgil of the Institute of Nano Technology, University of Twente, the Netherlands, who was in the city for a two-day international symposium on "Intelligence-based Materials and Manufacturing" at BIT Mesra today.
Professor Gadril also is reported as describing something that sounds like a nanofactory: "an industrial unit...as big, or as small, as a desktop."
However, the newspaper story cautions:
Some aspects of the technology are frightening. The rapidly advancing nano technology would make it possible to develop a network of cameras, by which a government can continuously monitor every aspect of a person or a place.Gadgil said "Nano technology is going to change the entire world like the previous industrial revolutions have."
Bringing both benefits and risks, causing global change equal to previous industrial revolutions -- also straight out of CRN's playbook [PPT].
We're not complaining, of course. It's a very positive sign to see these memes taking hold around the world!
Mike Treder
Tags: nanotechnology nanotech nano science technology ethics weblog blog
"We're not complaining, of course. It's a very positive sign to see these memes taking hold around the world!"
Indeed it is. And in my home country for that matter.
Us Dutch fellows are known to be very down to earth. It's no surprise that the whole idea of MNT came from the US: you guys are so much more enthusiastic about stuff, and you really know how to apply your fantasy to science.
It's a real good sign to see Holland's brightest minds pick up the meme. I couldn't concur more, Mike.
Posted by: Jay | August 19, 2005 at 01:57 PM