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Pioneers of Nanotechnology

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Richard P. Feynman

A Nobel prize winning physicist who described nanotechnology in his 1959 presentation There’s Plenty of Room at the Bottom.

“When we get to the very, very small world … we have a lot of new things that would happen that represent completely new opportunities for design … Atoms on a small scale behave like nothing on a large scale, for they satisfy the laws of quantum mechanics.”

http://nobelprize.org/physics/laureates/1965/feynman-bio.html

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Computer Activity Read “There’s Plenty of Room at the Bottom”

http://www.zyvex.com/nanotech/feynman.html

Select a memorable quote from this speech

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K. Eric Drexler

Published Engines of Creation in 1987 Assembler Self assembly Self replication Nanobots http://www.foresight.org/

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What is an assembler?

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Speculations Sugar Sugar is made of 3 kinds of atoms:

Carbon, oxygen and hydrogen. All of these are present in air. So out of thin air we could make

sugar if we could control atoms at the atomic level.

Sound far fetched? All plants do this especially sugar

cane, beets and maple trees.

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Speculations

The universal assembler – Imagine a machine which gives us complete control of matter at the atomic level.

Imagine it is about the size and cost of a microwave oven.

What are some things we could do with such a device?

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Everything is Made from Atoms

So a general purpose assembler could make things like: Food Clothes Computers Cars (These would need to be put together.) Televisions More assemblers Just about anything that could fit through the door

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Discuss some good and bad things about an assembler

Online Activity

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The Good

The ability to manipulate matter at the atomic scale could:Eliminate disease, hunger and aging.Clean the environment and remove CO2 from

the atmosphereProtect us from asteroid collisions, volcanic

eruptions and tsunamisBuild a space elevator

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The Bad

If replicating assemblers were able to replicate uncontrollably they could turn everything into grey goo.

An enemy may create super viruses or other devastating nano weapons.

“Nano Bugs” could spy on everything we do. Nano assassins

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The Foresight Institute defines molecular nanotechnology as:

Molecular nanotechnology is the name given to a specific sort of manufacturing technology. As its name implies, molecular nanotechnology will be achieved when we are able to build things from the atom up, and we will be able to rearrange matter with atomic precision. This technology does not yet exist; but once it does, we should have a thorough and inexpensive system for controlling of the structure of matter.

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Gerd Binnig & Heinrich Rohrer

Invented the scanning tunneling microscope or STM which can be used to visualize and manipulate individual atoms.

http://nobelprize.org/physics/laureates/1986/binnig-autobio.htmlhttp://nobelprize.org/physics/laureates/1986/rohrer-autobio.html

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Ernst Ruska

Invented the electron microscope in 1931.

The electron microscope obtains images by scanning the surface of a sample with a beam of electrons.

http://nobelprize.org/physics/laureates/1986/ruska-autobio.html

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Don Eigler – Xenon on Nickel

http://www.almaden.ibm.com/vis/stm/gallery.html

Was able to manipulate individual atoms using a scanning tunneling microscope.

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Richard E. Smalley Discovered Buckminsterfullerene a new

form of carbon along with Robert Curl and Harry Kroto in 1985.

Received the noble prize in Chemistry in 1996 for the discovery of fullerenes.

Professor at Rice University Died 2005 Research in carbon nanotubes, fullerenes

and energy. http://smalley.rice.edu/

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The Drexler Smalley Debate

http://pubs.acs.org/cen/coverstory/8148/8148counterpoint.html

Read the article at the following web site. Prepare arguments for and against the realization of molecular assemblers. Be prepared to support your argument in class.

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Sumio Iijima Discovered the carbon

nanotube. A single molecule of carbon. 100 times stronger than steel 1/6 the weight Can be conductors or

semiconductors

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Create a timeline for Nanotechnology

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10 bya

1 bya

100 mya

10 mya

1 mya

100 tya

10 tyaNanoscience Timeline 13.7 BYA – 10 TYA

13.7 billion years ago: The first atoms of hydrogen and helium are formed a few seconds after the big bang.

~11 billion years ago: Stars form, producing heavier elements through nuclear fusion.

4.5 billion years ago: Our solar system forms including the Earth. Life emerges shortly afterwards.

245 million years ago: Largest mass extinction in Earth history.75%-96% of all species die.

65 million years ago:Mass extinction which kills the dinosaurs.

2-4 million years ago:Frequent ice ages begin.

790 thousand years ago:First use of fire by humans.

14 thousand years ago:End of the last ice age.

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Nanoscience Timeline 8000 BC - 1900

7000 BC:Earliest record of fermented beverages.

3000 BC:Significant progress in chemistry in Egypt and China.

460 BC:Empedocles develops the concept of elements.

430 BC:Democritus develops the concept of the atom.

1661 Anton van Leeuwenhoek develops the optical microscope.

1697 Isaac Newton’s theory of gravity.

1808 John Dalton develops his atomic theory.

1869 Mendeleev introduces his periodic table.

1895 Wilhelm Roentgen discovers x-rays.

1000

1500

1600

1700

1800

1900

1000 BC

0

250 AD:Maya blue developed.

1300 Gold nanoparticles used to stain glass red.

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Nanoscience Timeline 20th Century

1900 Max Planck Quantum Theory.

Carbon black used in tires.

1905 Einstein’s theory of relativity.

1906 Rutherford proposes atomic nucleus.

1931 Ernst Ruska invents the electron microscope.

1948 Bardeen, Brattain & Schockley develop transistor.

1953 Crick & Watson propose double helix structure for DNA.

1955 First images of atoms obtained

1959 Richard Feynman gives “There’s Plenty of Room at the Bottom” speech.

1981 Binnig & Rohrer invent the scanning tunneling microscope.

1987 K. Eric Drexler publishes “Engines of Creation.”

1989 Don Eigler spells IBM with his STM.

1989 Smalley, Curl & Kroto discover fullerenes.

1991 Sumio Iijima discovers the carbon nanotube.

1900

1950

1960

1970

1980

1990

1991

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Nanoscience Fiction

Prey by Michael Crichtonhttp://www.amazon.com/Prey-Michael-Crichton/dp/0061015725/ref=pd_bbs_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1219935133&sr=8-2

The Diamond Age by Neal Stephensonhttp://www.amazon.com/Diamond-Age-Illustrated-Primer-Spectra/dp/0553380966/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1219935230&sr=1-1