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The Harrow Technology Report
Insight,
analysis, and commentary on the
Copyright © 2001-2005, Jeffrey R. Harrow. All rights
reserved.
Nano
This & Nano That.
Listen to this Issue.
Quote of the Week.
The Nano Difference.
There's MUCH More I Can Do For You!
Reinventing -- Again?
Cell Phone 'Jamming,' Revisited.
Nano-machines Are NOT New!
Where Automation Is Going? Listen to this Issue.Do you prefer to let your ears do the work of keeping you in-touch with, and thinking about where technology is taking us? If so, "The Harrow Technology Report" is also available in an audio-on-demand, M-P-3 version. If you have an M-P-3 player on your system (and most do, such as Window's Media Player, RealPlayer, etc.), the link below will either stream the file to you, or, depending on how your system is configured, it might download the file before playing it. Alternatively, if you specifically want to download the file, simply use the right-hand mouse button on the link, and choose "Save Target As..." Also, find out how you can listen at whatever speed is most comfortable for you through the FAQ at http://www.theharrowgroup.com/help.htm .
Here's where to listen to
this week's issue!
Quote of the Week.
"Like the coming of electricity, the true usefulness of information is only now beginning to emerge." John Kalinowski For both good and for not so good, we're seeing examples of this every day. Driven by the double-exponential growth of technology that is affecting virtually every aspect of how we live, work, and play, information is having an ever-increasing impact on every element of our society. In this environment, the societal gaps between the info-haves and the info-have-nots clearly have the potential to turn into a societal chasm. But that doesn't have to happen, especially in developed countries. PCs -- especially used generation-old PCs -- have become dirt cheap. Even in developing countries, with efforts such as MIT's to deliver functional computers for $100 (www.cnn.com/2005/TECH/ptech/04/04/hundred.dollar.laptops.ap/), the Information Age has the potential to blanket the globe. Yet it takes more than just hardware. I've suggested to some educators that, for example, teaching kids the Boolean language of searching (at least until our computers can reach the holy grail of understanding what we mean, rather than what we say) might be one of the most important competitive skills they can teach to make their students more attractive to colleges and to employers. When it comes to harnessing information, as electricity before it, Don't Blink! Because this is one chasm that we really do want to fill in.
The Nano Difference.
Nanotechnology, working with things that are near a billionth of a meter in size (as in atoms, molecules, sub-components of living cells, etc.) holds incredible promise for just about every aspect of every field of human endeavor. Yet as reader Steve Johnson commented, many people still find it difficult to appreciate the real, tangible benefits that nanotechnology is already providing. Much less what it will provide in the not terribly distant future. But a recent announcement from Toshiba, about batteries, may help to make nanotechnologies' promises very up close and personal.
Power To The Pockets! Almost every one of us has at least one (and often too many) electronic devices that are powered by batteries. If they're recent and rechargeable, they're likely powered by lithium ion batteries. The problem with lithium ion batteries, as with most rechargeable battery technologies before it, is that they take quite a long time to recharge, requiring that we do a constant "battery charging dance" to assure that all of our devices have the power they need when we need them. This wouldn't be too bad if each of us carried only a single device, but with a typical complement of notebooks and cell phones and music players and..., keeping all the batteries charged, each requiring different chargers and more electric outlets than are available in any hotel room (and in most homes or offices!) becomes a real pain. Let's see -- when I travel I have to carry chargers for my notebook, cell phone, GPS device, PDA, MP3 player, and more. Sheesh! Suppose, though, that we could fully charge our batteries in -- ten minutes!
That's just what Toshiba promises to have on the market in 2006! (http://www.toshiba.co.jp/about/press/2005_03/pr2901.htm) It works like this -- one of the reasons that current lithium ion batteries have to be charged relatively slowly is that the liquid electrolyte and the construction of the anodes impede the flow of the lithium ions as they make their way to recharge the chemistry that powers the battery. According to an April 4, 2004 article in TechNewsWorld (http://www.technewsworld.com/story/41889.html), the liquid electrolyte also gets unstable if too many lithium ions are pushed through it too fast. Hence the need for slow charging.
Changing The Battery Rules! But Toshiba has changed that equation by using nano-sized particles, which have a vastly larger surface area, for the negative electrode. This "nano electrode" is able to absorb the lithium passing into it during the recharge cycle far faster than a solid electrode can, allowing an incredible charge rate to 80% of capacity in one minute! A full charge takes just 8 minutes more! To get an idea of why nanoparticles, filling the same space as typically larger particles, have a much greater surface (active) area, imagine if you were measuring a specific section of a coastline. One way to do this would be to drive down a paved road that parallels the beach, which in this case measures exactly one mile. But suppose that you had an accurate pedometer (which measures the distance you walk) and you walked along the edge of this section of the beach, curving in and out as you followed the beach contours -- this way you'd measure a distance that is longer than the one mile measured along the straight road. Similarly, if you could follow the outline of each grain of sand at the edge of the beach, the vastly greater number of turns and twists along the outside of these particles would measure yet a FAR greater distance. This is why using nanoparticles in the battery, or for many other uses, provides a far larger reactive surface area than larger (traditional) particles. Other improvements from using this technology include raising the number of times that the battery can be charged from a few hundred times (did you ever wonder why you need a new notebook battery every year or so?), to 1,000 times. Yet even with this number of recharges, the battery will lose only 1% of its capacity. Oh - these new batteries are also said to have a higher energy-density, for a given size and weight, than current batteries. Additionally, this battery is extremely forgiving temperature-wise, providing 80% of its capacity at -40 degrees F, and 95% of capacity at 113 degrees F. Although most of us don’t use our portable electronic devices at such cold temperatures, I have been in the Arizona desert when the air temperature exceeded 120 degrees. But even in more normal summer temperatures something left out in the sun can get far hotter. This enhanced temperature range will be VERY important since Toshiba expects these batteries will initially power future electric-only and hybrid cars, plus other industrial devices such as locomotives, all of which obviously must work in extreme temperatures. Also, the higher capacity and lightening-fast recharge rate could change the rules for electric-only cars -- imagine restoring an electric car’s full charge in ten minutes when you pull into a "gas station" and grab a doughnut. This could get around the current far-too-long charging times that severely limit the practical range of electric-only vehicles. Hopefully, these batteries will soon trickle down into our pockets and purses and briefcases...
The Bottom Nano Line. True, we don't really know how this battery technology will actually prove out when commercialized. But the potential benefits of using nanotechnology to make what may be such dramatic improvement in battery technology is just one example of how nanotechnology promises to change EVERYTHING. In not too long it will be nano-this and nano-that, and even average people won't know how they ever got along with the "crude macro devices," and materials, and medical technologies, of the 20th century. Don't Blink! Or you'll miss all the fun -- and all the opportunities.
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If you're a "baby boomer," you surely remember the vacuum tube, and what electronic devices were like 'way back then.' The bad news was that they were large, heavy, very hot (thermally), not portable for the most part, energy hogs, and they were not terribly reliable because, by their nature, the glowing filaments within the tubes periodically burned out in the same manner as incandescent light bulbs. The good news was that you could often fix the devices yourself. Most convenience stores and many other places had 'use it yourself' tube testers -- you'd bring in a tube you believed had failed (or all the tubes from a device if you weren't sure), test each one, and replace as needed. Then, out came the transistor -- something so completely radical that even as it was changing the face of electronics, people claimed that this new-fangled transistor fad could not possibly replace tubes (some audiophiles still decry this for elements of audio amplifiers today, with certain justifications.) Perhaps most startling was that many electrical engineers and "electronic technicians" felt the same way -- they could not get their minds around a device that worked by "moving holes around." (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transistors#How_transistors_work) To most folks, these transistors were quite "magic," which brings to mind Arthur C. Clarke's famous and all too true comment that "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.") Yet once transistors started showing up in products, the vacuum tubes' days were clearly numbered. (Specialized applications do still use forms of vacuum tubes, such as microwave ovens. And of course there are the still-common "TV picture tubes" gracing living rooms and desktops; it's only recently that flat panel displays are becoming inexpensive enough to challenge the old TV tube on the office desk or even in some living rooms. (On the other hand, many graphic artists maintain that for their purpose, the continuous image of a CRT remains superior to the "discrete" pixels of LCD screens.) Since the days when the newly portable radios were priced based on the number of transistors inside (even though some of them were damaged transistors simply used as diodes to get the transistor count up!), we've made incredible strides to shrinking near half a billion transistors into research versions of the fingernail-sized chips that we so take for granted. Yet basically, these are still the same transistors that graced the "six transistor radios" of 45 years ago. This will not, however, always be the case.
Reinventing -- Again? Many research and university labs have been working on various ways to continue to shrink the transistor such as through molecular self-assembly, carbon nanotubes, and other techniques. And in a particularly interesting recent development, HP has stated that they have developed an alternative (not an extension to) the logic circuits that form the basis for our computers. As brought to our attention by
reader Pat Scopelliti, HP has developed the
molecular-scale "Crossbar Latch" that works like
this (http://www.eet.com/news/latest/
"The latch consists of a single wire acting as a signal line, crossed by two control lines with an electrically switchable molecular-scale junction where they intersect. By applying a sequence of voltage impulses to the control lines and using switches oriented in opposite polarities, the latch can perform the NOT operation, which along with AND and OR operations [form] the essential logic functions for general computing. In addition, the crossbar latch can restore a logic level in a circuit to a nominal voltage, which allows a designer to chain logic gates together to perform computations."
(Additional details are available in a paper
accessible through
http://www.hpl.hp.com/research/idl/papers
At the "big picture" level, as described in the Feb. 1, 2005 CNNMoney, HP's Stan Williams suggested that, "We are reinventing the computer at the molecular scale... [That] could result in computers that are thousands of times more powerful than those that exist today." Researcher Phil Kuekes then opined that, "This could someday replace transistors in computers, just as transistors replaced vacuum tubes and vacuum tubes replaced electromagnetic relays before them." Sound familiar?
Where It Stops, Nobody Knows... I'm certainly not saying that this particular technology will be the one that produces a watershed as significant as the vacuum tube and the transistor and the integrated circuit (although it could), but this announcement does remind us that as unlikely as it may seem, something WILL (eventually) do so. And at that point the transistors that have so-changed our world may seem as antiquated as the slow and noisy electromechanical relay logic circuits of the first computers, and the hot and power-hungry vacuum tubes of yesteryear. So whatever you do, Don't Blink! Because as happened during the switch to transistors, many people were marginalized when they failed to "keep up" with the changing technology of these newfangled transistors. Don't you fall into that same "couldn't happen" trap.
Cell Phone 'Jamming,' Revisited.
In a recent issue
(www.theharrowgroup.com/articles/ French reader Laurent Fourrier, however, has shed a bit more light on what France is really up to. It seems that rather than just turning on a transmitter that would jam cell phone frequencies (rendering all the phones within range totally inoperative), they're actually implementing a standard GSM "microcell" within the building - with a few special modifications. Since cell phones by and large will latch on to the strongest signal, most of the phones in this venue will use this special microcell. But unlike a typical cell, this one is programmed to block all incoming and outgoing calls EXCEPT for emergency calls. This is certainly a kinder, gentler, safer way to deal with cell phone noise pollution, although many of my concerns about blocking calls remain -- you may still be able to place an outgoing call to access the French equivalent of 911, but without some special way to tag INCOMING emergency calls, family or business emergency calls could still not get through. Yet even if inbound emergency call COULD get through via some sanctioned mechanism, receiving those emergency calls should still not disturb everyone else in the venue. I suggest a different tack -- as above, keep people from making calls while watching the performance by blocking all outgoing calls except to the local emergency numbers. Then, to block the annoyance of ringers, have the limited-distance microcell force ringers into "vibrate" mode while still allowing incoming calls to come through. A patron could then silently check the caller-id or text message or email, and go out into an unblocked zone in the lobby to place the call. I'm sure that this method, too, has some holes in it, but it would seem less draconian than blocking all calls. It's HARD for society to keep up with technology, and it will take us time to hit upon the right balance. But let's explore all of the options before we jump. 'Kinder and gentler and safer' is a good goal.
Nano-machines Are NOT New!
This is an article I've recently written for Future Brief (http://www.futurebrief.com/). Future Brief is published by New Global Initiatives (http://www.ngiweb.com/) and offers brief summaries, commentaries, and other resources to help people, especially those on The Hill who form national policy, to keep up on technological innovations. But Future Brief adds an important twist -- it "takes one step back and looks at the greater convergence of the accelerating changes in science and technology, with the equally rapidly accelerating changes in society and politics." (http://www.futurebrief.com/about.asp)
Unfortunately, we experience the results of certain nanomachines all too often -- and we usually don't like the results! These nanomachines are not constructed in some laboratory (at least not yet), but are Nature's "viruses." Now, thanks to reader Gerard Wenham and an Aug. 30, 2004 MSNBC article (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5870695/) and a National Science Foundation Press Release (http://www.nsf.gov/od/lpa/newsroom/pr.cfm?ni=15000000000103), we find out that our knowledge of these natural nanomachines is expanding. And that makes me feel rather sure that we will (eventually) learn to both tame, and to harness, these simplest forms of "life."
I know that this picture from the MSNBC article cited above looks like the worst of what a sci fi flick might present, but this is a rendition of a "T4 bacteriophage based on actual high-resolution imagery of the virus" from work at Purdue University in collaboration with labs in Russia and Japan!
How It Works. Taking a simplistic view, a virus isn't strictly alive; it's composed of a protein shell with a hollow center that contains the payload - the virus' nucleic acid composed of either DNA or RNA - that forces target cells to do its bidding. The outside surface of the virus is studded with specific proteins that allow it to target and attach itself to the appropriate living host cell; it finds those cells by matching the cells' surface proteins with those of its own (a "lock and key" scenario). The virus then hijacks the cell by attaching to it and literally injecting its payload into the cell, causing the cell to reproduce the virus. Eventually, the cell will explode and release its new baby viruses as their number overwhelms the space within the cell's wall. The new viruses then move on to seek out other cells, reproducing at an exponentially increasing rate. I know, this seems like bad science fiction, but it happens within our bodies every day! It's easy to gain a good understanding of what takes place by watching an excellent animation of the process through a link at the top of the MSNBC page noted above. What you'll see is a single virus that looks disturbingly like the Lunar Lander, complete with spider-like legs, that is seeking out an E. coli bacteria. Once the virus finds its target (which is common in the human colon) the virus' legs touch down and grip the cell membrane's surface. Next, the bottom of the virus irises open and a nano-needle pushes down towards the cell membrane. Pushing against the gripping force of the legs, the needle penetrates the cell wall and injects its nucleic payload, which begins the hijacking.
Nanoscale Understanding Leads To Control. Our increasing ability to examine things at the nanoscale is what led to this revelation of how viruses work. As you might expect, every shred of new knowledge builds upon all of our previous knowledge to increase our understanding -- which may in turn lead to insights that allow us to develop ways that we can control, or even turn the tables on and hijack to our advantage, our age-old virus nemeses. For example, now that scientists know how the viruses' legs attach, perhaps they can, figuratively, come up with a way to cut them off at their tiny knees. That way, their legs could not attach to the cell and provide the resistance needed to enable its "needle" to poke through the cell wall. No injection, no reproduction! Given the pain and suffering and death that viruses cause, we might all feel better if the day arrives when a visit to the doctor doesn't end with: "...it's a virus, so there's really nothing we can give you. Of course if you had a bacterial infection, we could probably fix you right up." Instead, the conversation might end with: "...it's a virus, so take these pills and you'll feel good again, fast." Wouldn't that be nice.
It's All About Nanotechnology. Just as this ability to "see" at ever-smaller scales has now allowed us to view how viruses work, our increasing ability to "do things" at this billionths-of-a-meter nanoscale has the potential to lead to solutions. So the next time you catch a cold, or suffer from a more serious viral attack, think about how the fruits of such fundamental nanotechnology research, which spans many traditionally separate fields of science, might one day keep viruses, like bacteria today, at bay. Learning from Nature at its nanoscale of atoms and molecules will change EVERYTHING. Those companies and countries that aren't at the forefront of this coming "Nano Age" will find themselves at an enormous competitive (and security) disadvantage. But WE intend to be the "winners." Don't we? (Or shouldn't we?) Don't Blink!
Where Automation Is Going?
Finally, what are we going to do as the age of our average population rises? Who will be the caregivers as the number of younger people declines while the number of baby-boomer elderly increase? In Japan, for example, they expect that there will be only one young person for each 3 elderly people by 2050! As described by the March 5, 2004 New York Times (http://www.nytimes.com/2004/03/05/international/asia/05JAPA.html), if we look towards Japan's 75% elderly population of 2050, the only practical answer may be "automation." For example, enter the $50,000 human washing machine!
In this case, this early device is installed in a nursing home where the patients apparently enjoy the safe environment of "always right" temperature, automatically-dispensed scented soaps, and "perfect" agitating bubbles. Other elderly-care devices being pursued include a pair of robotic pants that can help infirm people to move around under their own power, as well as a remotely controlled robot with stereo camera eyes that children can use to remotely monitor their at-home parents.
1984? Yes, the "1984-ish" picture of the elderly waiting in long lines to go through wash-rinse-dry cycles, afterwards clanking away in cyborg fashion in their powered pants, might make us a bit queasy. But the aging population pressures may make automated assistance a necessity -- not to mention being a money-maker. Consider, for example, that the broader field of Japanese "domestic robots" (about $4 billion today) is estimated to hit $14 billion five years from now. And then grow to $40 billion by 2025! That's "real money" in anyone's book, especially considering the, er, captive audience. This is just one reminder of the vast array of opportunities that are being opened by our aging demographics, coupled with our exponentially growing technologies...
Don't Blink!
About 'The Harrow Technology Report.'
"The Harrow Technology Report" explores the innovations and trends of many contemporary and emerging technologies, and then draws some less than obvious connections between them, to help us each survive and prosper in the Knowledge Age. "The Harrow Technology Report" is brought to you by Jeffrey R. Harrow, Principal of The Harrow Group. http://www.TheHarrowGroup.com . Where To Find "The Harrow Technology Report:"
Copyright (c) 2001-2005, Jeffrey R. Harrow. All
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