I went to school with a guy who wanted to get involved in this field.

He told me nanochips could be potentially placed in the water supply undetected, and influenced remotely by radio waves. What percentage water is the human body again?

Apparently magnets will mess with chips.

Magnetic therapy perhaps? MRI's?

nanos don't need to be made from magnetic materials.
viruses are nanos.

I've looked into this a bit, including the industrial applications of nanotechnology. They don't need to be built, they can be programed to build themselves from the ground up, much like a virus as tallowood says. I think I even read something about atmospheric nanotechnology, and airborn delivery systems.

knowing nothing at all on the topic - nanotechs are exactly the sort of thing aussies excell on in the early days

nano is 10^-9

next down is pico, which is 10^-12

What is next after that?

Femto. A femtometer is something like 10–14 (?) m.

Nanotechnology is a pretty interesting line of enquiry, with potential technological ramifications for the human race like absolutely never seen before. It's around in some form today -- but in this form it isn't particularly impressive; certainly not the nanotechnology described by radical dreamers like Raymond Kurzweil and Eric K. Drexler, the kind which would have the ability to assemble objects of absolutely any shape from the ground up.

Thanks Imperium.  I googled the word femto and it is indeed next downsize from pico, it is 10^-15.

Interesting article about Femtotechnology here


Quote:

Femtotechnology is a term used by some futurists to refer to structuring of matter on a femtometer scale, by analogy with nanotechnology and picotechnology. This involves the manipulation of excited energy states within atomic nuclei (see nuclear isomer) to produce metastable (or otherwise stabilized) states with unusual properties. In the extreme case, excited states of the individual nucleons that make up the atomic nucleus (protons and neutrons) are considered, ostensibly to tailor the behavioral properties of these particles (though this is in practice unlikely to work as intended).

That is not the limit of course as we still may imagine structuring elementary particles themselves.
I wonder then where is the limit of our imagination?

Plancktech? Manipulation of matter on the planck scale, which is the smallest possible unit of measurement.

aikmann4 wrote on Apr 2^nd, 2010 at 6:46pm:

Plancktech? Manipulation of matter on the planck scale, which is the smallest possible unit of measurement.

Yes, it sort of defines the limit at present but hadron collider may change that.

Certainly interesting concepts.
With the emerging sciences of genetic engineering, computer processing, medical engineering, nanotechnology, and others I have not even heard of no doubt to follow, we are entering a new phase in human experience where traditional concepts of life and death will need to be drastically re-evaluated.
We already have bionic components for use in humans, and when we add to that possible planned genetic mutations, and medically engineered spare parts for our bodies, then the traditional life and wellbeing experience will have little resemblance to what we now experience.
Living healthy, cognitive lives for hundreds, perhaps thousands of years, is now within the realms of our possible future, and the consequences of such a paradigm shift would be truly mind blowing. We would need to redefine so many of our current values that it is almost beyond imagining.

Still, it is a very possible scenario that our grandchildren may be required to deal with.
Oh to be a part of such a brave new world, or would we be more like a stranger in a strange land?

mozzaok wrote on Apr 2^nd, 2010 at 8:34pm:

Certainly interesting concepts. With the emerging sciences of genetic engineering, computer processing, medical engineering, nanotechnology, and others I have not even heard of no doubt to follow, we are entering a new phase in human experience where traditional concepts of life and death will need to be drastically re-evaluated. We already have bionic components for use in humans, and when we add to that possible planned genetic mutations, and medically engineered spare parts for our bodies, then the traditional life and wellbeing experience will have little resemblance to what we now experience. Living healthy, cognitive lives for hundreds, perhaps thousands of years, is now within the realms of our possible future, and the consequences of such a paradigm shift would be truly mind blowing. We would need to redefine so many of our current values that it is almost beyond imagining. Still, it is a very possible scenario that our grandchildren may be required to deal with. Oh to be a part of such a brave new world, or would we be more like a stranger in a strange land?

That  reminded me some sf novel I read long time ago. There was some sort of box where you could put any available material like sand or water or rubbish in and get out of it materials that you need. It was recombination and  synthesis on nano level. Also there was currency that was "years of life".
I think it was in one of Terry Pratchett's Disk World novels but I don't remember which one it was.

WHATEVER HAPPENED TO 'NANOSOLAR'???  ;)

stranger in a strange land sounds about right - on a nano scale. "cos the world will be different than we know it to be.  I think pure research is absolutely essential , but with a society - no a world - driven by profit, it won't be pure for long.

Read the  'futurist' authors  -  in the end it will be bad news. It will impact massively upon our lives, whether we recognise it or not.   Bit like Nuclear technology - promised heaps, poisoned much much more.

Of course nano will provide benefits to individuals who have the money!!  until it gets out of hand.
All the tech developments of late - rely on the 'trickle down ' effect.  Like - it'll become so cheap - because its self-replicating nature will make ....?'things'.. really cheap.!!. It'll manufacture itself!!

Like AI  - and the recent 'creation of Life' in a lab. Now they are truly awesome  achievements  -  and  - I think - a big prob for homo sapiens.

But hey not if you are upscale a bit.
$$$$$$$ 'll buy you what u want - live for hundreds of yrs?? -- just sign here.

nano tech will have no recognisable benefit for the poor.  Hey OK maybe they can purchase something at the supermarket - engineered nano in shampoos, polishes, plastic wrap - WHO KNOWS??

But to engineer a minute Particle to self-replicate is to create a virus - a nano-virus  -- before the engineer understands what the possible outcomes might be of that technology in real time.

But absent a meteor strike - no doubt we will go on. Different - but who can say how? ::)

"Nano - Nano" ..."Shuzbutt"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I8JV3yC1XSA

think you'll find that's nanoonanoo, shuzbutt. ::)

Ah Ha!!

On the News tonight -

a new method of delivering cancer drugs to specific cancer cells -  a break - through !!!  

The agent is introduced to the patient by use of a nano particle.

Anything else people have noted??

I'm suspect of cosmetics and creams that use nano - tech.  But I don't know which ones are using the tech.

SHOULDN"T products utilising nano- tech - products applied to humans or their immediate environs be LABELED???

I think it's very important - the more complex  - the more chance of big mistakes.!! :-?

What do you think? :)

I prefer to just have the Cold and Flu
to build up my immune system ...naturally,
and keep such things as Cancer at bay.

Assistant in Nursing: Angleire Scotwelsh 2004
;)

no FOOL  you.

Me trying that too.!!

Touch Wood ---  haven't had a cold, flu or other infectious thing  for decades.  Haven't taken anti-biotics for decades, or vitamins etc.  How 'bout you eh? J? :).

easel wrote on Feb 12^th, 2009 at 6:36pm:

I went to school with a guy who wanted to get involved in this field. He told me nanochips could be potentially placed in the water supply undetected, and influenced remotely by radio waves. What percentage water is the human body again? Apparently magnets will mess with chips. Magnetic therapy perhaps? MRI's?

A little less paranoia might help. Water humans? In your case about 95%, normally 75 - 80%.

MRI's are not magnetic therapy at all. They are simply a form of camera, taking snapshots, they do not treat anything.

A bit of knowledge might help you a lot, try reading, but not here.

I think imagination -  :)
Is illimitable -  ;)