It is always interesting to hear K. Eric Drexler
talk about the current state of nanotechnology. He recently
created a new web site to reference a lot of general information about
Nanotechnology called e-drexler.com … it has a lot of good links on the subject.

It is obvious that Eric is still driven to communicate the
possibilities and benefits surrounding nanotechnology, and he is
passionate about it. There is considerable issue around the debates between Eric and Richard Smalley. Even Ray Kurzweil has his thoughts on the subject.

I have to agree with Eric … I do not question the feasibility … and
I believe it would be irresponsible to not pursue the conversation.

I really enjoy listening to Ralph Merkle speak. He obviously
loves what he is doing, and he knows a lot about his field. He is
working at Georgia Tech … or should I say playing … and is involved with the Institute for Molecular Manufacturing. He is currently co-Authoring a book with Robert A. Freitas Jr. … Kinematic Self-Replicating Machines … A general review of the theoretical and experimental literature pertaining to physical self-replicating systems

He is really up on the current arguments about What is nanotech? and has a long list of examples of numerous nanotech products that are arrivingon the market –
from cosmetics to kitchen and bathroom surfaces, sun glasses coatings, etc.

There are also a variety of lawsuits are now arguing “What is
nanotech and what is not?” due to funds that are claiming nanotech
investments.

The arguments against the feasibility of molecular manufacturing are
causing more and more critical examination … and more people are
starting to see the possibility.

It’s always great to hear the details of the “State of NanoTech” from someone that is so plugged in.

There are few people that can see the potential of future
technologies. I believe that it takes someone with both technical
and business sense that can see what is possible … and someone who
does not limit their thinking. Steve Jurvetson is such a person.

Steve is a Managing Director of the venture capital firm Draper Fisher Jurvetson
… one of the firms that I believe really understands what to look at
in Nanotech. It was cool to see that several of their portfolio
companies joined together to build a NanoCar …

There was a lot of good information and perspectives about NanoTech …
that Nanotech is the overlap of numerous disciplines … Lab
experiments are moving from real
to simulation (e.g. using wind tunnels moving to simulation of wind
tunnels) … and that Patents are continuing to be an issue that
are going to require exploration. He talked about many of the
perspectives on the importance of education, and showed some very
interesting graphs on the growth of PhD grads in America.

DFJ has a large portfolio that I have to admit I really like … some
of the areas of their investments are: Bio-Nano-Organic Hybrids,
Bioinformatics & Materialinformatics, Nano Manufacturing and Tools,
Sub-wavelength
Photonics, Optical Integrated Circuits, MEMs, and many others.

I’m going to look into many of their investments … they are in
various stages of growth with many of them already offering
products. This is a list that I was able to put together:

• Zettacore – molecular memory
• Arryx – holographic laser steering
• Steve showed an amazing video of using Arryx laser tweezers to trap, hold and move a
  single sperm, and then weigh the DNA of that sperm to determine if it contained male or female DNA. This sorting is designed for the cattle industry to pick cows and bulls for different purposes. The same laser can then kill the sperm if it’s the wrong type!
• EGeen – biotechnology
• Intematix – Combinatorial Materials R&D
• D-Wave Systems – commercializing superconducting quantum computational systems
• Imago – providing 3-dimensional imaging and analysis capabilities to nanotechnology
  industries
• HyperNex – crystallographic microstructure monitors for production control in semiconductor
  manufacturing
• Media Lario – design, manufacture, characterisation and assembly of high precision mechanical
  and optomechanical systems
• Nano Opto – creates new classes of densely integrated, modular nano-optic components
• Microfabrica – a leader in microdevice manufacturing
• NeoPhotonics – integrate optical communication on a low cost, proprietary, scalable
  manufacturing platform
• BinOptics – designs, develops, and manufactures monolithically integrated optoelectronic
  components based on indium phosphide and other semiconductor materials
• SiWave – specializes in Optical MicroSystems and MEMS Fabrication and Product Development
  services
• Luminus Devices – solid state lighting through practical applications of photonic lattice
  technology
• SoliCore – superior energy products through technology advancements – Solicore’s exclusive
  next generation Polymer Matrix Electrolyte and unique processing technologies
• FlexICs – pioneering the manufacturing of semiconductors on plastic at ultra low
  temperatures
• Molecular
  Imprints – offers a novel technique of lithography and 3-dimensional printing, capable of
  patterning nano-scale devices and structures
• Konarka Technologies – builds revolutionary, light-sensitive products using next generation
  nanomaterials that are coated on rolls of plastic
• Coatue – organic electronics (acquired
  by AMD)
• 
  NanTero – developing NRAM™, a high-density nonvolatile random access memory chip, using
  nanotechnology
• 
  NanoCoolers – creating tiny machines without moving parts that will cool electronic devices

Last night there were two presentations by accelrys … a company that is developing amazing software for nanotech and other areas. They are a public company (ACCL) and been growing … this page
from their web site has more about them.  I’m considering an
investment … they are trading below $10US and this is a huge market.

The first speaker presented their perspective of the tools that they
provide, and indicated the various levels at which they allow
researchers to experimnet and simulate.  They have a killer gallery
of the types of images they can create.  He talked about the ways
they can use approximation to simulate … and the types of solutions
they can provide.  He talked about how they can evaluate and
experiment on molecular structures to determine cause and effects.

Later in the evening one of their engineers did some real demonstrations of the types of work that can be done with Materials Studio … a tool where the average person running Windows can create all sorts of new molecular-level products!  😉

P.S. They also have regular Webinars on the subject … I was thinking of checking some of these out.  They have one coming up on the 20th – Quantum Mechanical Modeling of Chemical Reactions: a Practical Approach

I am attending the Foresight Institute Vision Weekend – Senior Associate Gathering again this year. I first heard about this organization when friends taold me about Eric Drexler and his famous book on nanotechnology – Engines of Creation.

The weekend runs from Friday evening through Sunday and has always
provides incredible insights into the state of research and development
with respect to nanotech. The conference is “off the record” and
so I’ll be carefully commenting on the things that I can. Some of
the thoughts and comments of speakers are fairly “out there” …
however in my opinion it is only the main-stream public that are not
ready to hear what they are saying.

The conference is being held in the Bay Area of California … it
attracts a lot of big names. I’ll post about last night … it
was already impressive …