[thechat] Nanotech

Luther, Ron ron.luther at hp.com
Fri Dec 5 09:30:30 CST 2003


Hi Gang,

I read the recent /. article on the two scientists trading flames 
over nanotech ... especially since one is from Rice U here in Houston.

[That kind of stuff can be great fun. I used to subscribe to 
'The Sciences' - the journal of the New York Academy of Science. The 
articles were very good. The artwork was better. But the 'letters' 
section with the catfights over the articles was the best part!]

Anyway ... I certainly don't know enough chemistry to comment on the 
'fat-finger' or 'sticky-finger' problems ... 

My question is on speed. These buggers are small ... but they have 
non-zero size and mass so there are limits on how fast they can 
move and how close together they can work ... If it takes 4.5 months 
to 'compile' a cheeseburger and a cup of "tea, Earl Grey, hot" ... 
who's gonna want to eat it?


RonL.
(Who is just skeptical that the 'mythical man-month' problem 
disappears at molecular levels ... )


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