Tiny engine boosts nanotech hopes

Scientists at the University of Edinburgh have created a tiny engine powered by light that can be made to sort molecules. They found similar "machines" in the photosynthesis process.

news.bbc.co.uk
Nanotechnology typically involves components built of individual atoms or molecules. A nanometre is one billionth of a metre and is about 80,000 times smaller than the thickness of a human hair.

Led by Professor David Leigh the team from Edinburgh have designed and built a molecule, known as a rotaxane, that can move and sort particles. It took three years of painstaking work to find a molecular form that could do this job.

Conceptually, the rotaxane can be thought of as a barbell with a carefully positioned lump on the bar that can be made to act as a one-way "gate" when light is shone on it.

Although best known for his work on electromagnetism, he also dreamed up the idea of Maxwell's Demon in which an imp seems to be able to sort gas molecules into separate chambers in defiance of the second law of thermodynamics.

This sound really scary, looks like nanotechnology is well on its way. We've hit the 21st century wchich we see in the movies...

I think this will start the foundation of the "chip". It's so small, anybody can give it to you, even through an injection at a hospital. Looks like this technology made the foundation for both good and evil.

What do you people think?

[edit on 3-2-2007 by UM_Gazz]