Publications
Books and Journals
A proposed "metabolism" for a hydrocarbon assembler | Ralph C. Merkle. Molecular manufacturing should let us synthesize most arrangements of atoms that are consistent with physical law. Assemblers have been proposed as a means for accomplishing this objective (see, for example, Merkle, 1996a). They would be able to build a wide range of useful products as well as copies of themselves. A simpler though less general proposal is a hydrocarbon assembler, restricted to manufacturing relatively stiff hydrocarbons. The design and analysis of such an assembler should be substantially simpler than that of a more general assembler. In this paper, we consider the "intermediary metabolism" of a hydrocarbon assembler, i.e., the set of reactions that permit processing of the feedstock molecules and their conversion into molecular tools (positionally controlled carbenes, radicals, and other reactive species). The specific feedstock molecule analyzed is butadiyne (a linear molecule, C4H2, also known as diacetylene; not to be confused with the more common but chemically distinct non-linear molecule butadiene: C4H6).
Bionanotechnology : Lessons from Nature | David S. Goodsell. This book shows how the lessons that may be learned from biology can be applied to nanotechnology today. The first part of the book explores the properties of nanomachines that are available in cells. The second looks to the structure and function of natural nanomachines for guidance in building nanomachinery. The book then concludes with chapters on applications, surveying some of the exciting bionanotechnological tools and techniques that are currently in development, and speculating on those that may prove feasible in the not-too-distant future.
Brave BioArt 2 | Natasha Vita-More. This article addresses an overview of BioArt, biomedia and its practitioners, developed through a series of semi-structured, qualitative interviews and openended discussions with more than fifteen experts in the field.
Bridging the Gaps: Science Fiction in Nanotechnology | José López. This paper argues that narrative elements from the science fiction (SF) literary genre are used in the discourse of Nanoscience and Technology (NST) to bridge the gap between what is technically possible today and its inflated promises for the future. The argument is illustrated through a detailed discussion of two NST texts. The paper concludes by arguing that the use of SF narrative techniques poses serious problems to the development of a critical analysis of the ethical and social implications of NST.
Design considerations for an assembler | Ralph C. Merkle. Assemblers have been proposed as general purpose manufacturing devices, able to build a wide range of useful products as well as copies of themselves. If such systems are to be built they must first be designed; and before they can be designed in detail we need to know at the system level what major subsystems are needed, what functions they perform, and how they interact with each other. This paper attempts to fill this need and describes the subsystems and components required for a relatively "simple" assembler.
Designing the Molecular World | Philip Ball. An excellent writer for the journal Nature showcases the excitement of chemistry by departing from the standard subdivisions of science and emphasizing integration.
Engines of Creation : The Coming Era of Nanotechnology | Eric Drexler. This brilliant work heralds the new age of nanotechnology, which will give us thorough and inexpensive control of the structure of matter. Drexler examines the enormous implications of these developments for medicine, the economy, and the environment, and makes astounding yet well-founded projections for the future.
Feynman | The Nobel prizewinning physicist and prolific science writer Richard Feynman was well known as a comic character. Now he's a comic-book character. The book "Feynman" by Jim Ottaviani and Leland Myrick, follows a meticulously researched thread through the great man's scientific and personal life.
GENNESYS | Based on the collaborative work of more than 600 experts from all over the world, the five-year GENNESYS study presents an overall picture of the present and future developments in the large spectrum of nanomaterials.
Governing Uncertainty: Environmental Regulation in the Age of Nanotechnology | Christopher J. Bosso. "This book makes a significant contribution to the issues it sets out to address, namely how government confronts conditions of acute uncertainty about environmental and health risks, and how, given such uncertainty, government structures its regulatory policy. Students and scholars of science and technology policy will find the work interesting and relevant, particularly in its treatment of the EPA and the federal scene." –– Albert H. Teich, Director, Science and Policy Programs, American Association for the Advancement of Science
Hacking Matter: Levitating Chairs, Quantum Mirages, and the Infinite Weirdness of Programmable Atoms | Wil McCarthy. McCarthy utilizes his expertise to take us on a tour of research labs at Universities such as MIT and Harvard and expanding the conversations with the scientists working with programmable matter, namely Quantum Dots. He keeps the scientific explanations of this new and expanding field simple enough for the lay person and elaborates on the direction and usage of the research in the future.
Introduction to Nanotechnology | Charles P. Poole & Frank J. Owens. An overview of nanotechnology and its applications.
Kinematic Self-Replicating Machines | Robert A. Freitas & Ralph C. Merkle. The book contains an exhaustive history of self-replicating machines, including von Neumann's studies and information-based replicators like computer viruses, proposals for self-replicating factories and actual achievements of self-replicating devices, and a complete discussion of proposals for microscale replicators which includes a description (for context) of the many ways biology replicates.
Made to Measure: New Materials for the 21st Century | Philip Ball. Ball's narrative covers both the history of materials science, and the future and its possibilities. He's particularly good at the historical story, and at drawing parallels betwene natural and artifial structures. As in Ball's other popular works on science, "Made to Measure" is approachable without being trivial, and rigorous in its attention to detail without becoming numbingly pedantic.
Material Design | Thomas Schroepfer, et al. The book opens the way to an innovative use of materials in the design professions. Nine chapters deal with surfaces and layers, joints and juctions, weaving and texturing, nanoscale transformations, responsiveness, the integration of ephemeral factors like wind and light as well as material collections providing professional resources. Written by renowned experts in this field: Thomas Schropfer is Associate Professor at the Harvard University Graduate School of Design. James Carpenter is principal of James Carpenter Design Associates in New York. Sheila Kennedy is principal of Kennedy & Violich Architecture in Boston. Toshiko Mori is principal of Toshiko Mori Architects in New York and teaches at the Hardvard University Graduate School of Design. Liat Margolis is a landscape architect and teaches at the John Daniels Architecture School of the University of Toronto. Nader Tehrani is principal of Office dA in Boston and teaches at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Peter Yeadon is principal of Decker Yeadon in New York and teaches at the Rhode Island School of Design. Erwin Viray is an architect and teaches at the National University of Singapore.
Nano materials applications for conservation of cultural heritage | A. M. Waked. Nanotechnology is considered to be the most important theoretical and applicative framework of human knowledge in the near future, breakthroughs are restricted to few applications. One is being the conservation and restoration of cultural heritage. For the architecture profession nanotechnology will be able to change the way we build, and will greatly impact construction materials and their properties as well. However, materials will behave in many different ways as we are able to more precisely control their properties at nano-composites, which combine new nano-materials with more traditional ones and can be many times stronger than standard materials, and will dramatically improve the performance, durability, and strength to weight ratio of these materials. As materials gain such transient features architectural design and construction will evolve by transforming the essential properties of matter. This study of material is considered an emerging field, so this paper will retry to represent the most recent applications of nano materials of the conservation of cultural.
Nano Materials: in Architecture, Interior Architecture and Design | Sylvia Leydecker. The book description notes that designers will be introduced to "a scientific background specifically tailored to their needs, a critical discussion of the advantages and limits of the technology, and above all a comprehensive presentation of sixteen characteristics and functions of nanomaterials that are specially relevant for building and design, illustrated by numerous international project examples." The book is principally interested in coatings that are already on the market; it does not pursue the breadth of nanotechnology, nor does it consider about the future implications of nanotechnology in architecture and design.
Nanoarchitecture: A New Species of Architecture | John Johansen. Architect John Johansen properly identifies nanotechnology as the dawn of a new epoch. However, this is a slim volume with little information on nanotechnology and its relevance to design. Of the 159 pages, only a couple of dozen pages contain text. One senses that the large typeface is an attempt to create more mass than substance. Johansen’s five-paragraph preface, in which he calls fiberglass boat hulls a radical field of technology, is predominantly a summary of his own achievements. Lippert’s introduction also focuses on Johansen’s long career and surveys his architectural projects, rather than providing a commentary on Johansen’s message that “a new species of architecture is evolving”. Johansen’s built work evaporated after the early 1980s; what followed is a series of design speculations, mostly from the 80s and 90s, which are the ten projects that are presented in the body of the book. The majority of the book is filled with images of crude models made from plastic bottles and figures, with a brief introduction to each project. Although molecular nanotechnology isn’t mentioned until page 151, Johansen does a good job of identifying some key thinkers in nanotechnology. The book is filled with quotes from some of these authorities, but you won’t find any references, footnotes, a bibliography, or resources. Not surprisingly, all of these innovators are associated with the Foresight Institute, which seems to be Johansen’s only source for information. This is lazy research; Johansen’s sources are limited and his understanding of nanotechnology is inadequate. The book is opportunistic and benefits from increasing interest in nanotechnology, but it is also a dangerously uninformed book. Still, we must list it as it's a beginning.
NanoCulture: Implications of the New Technoscience | Edited by N. Katherine Hayles. NanoCulture explores the ways in which nanotechnology interacts with, and itself becomes, a cultural construction. Topics include the co-construction of nanoscience and science fiction; the influence of risk assessment and nanotechnology on the shapes of narratives; intersections between nanoscience as a writing practice and experimental literature at the limits of fabrication; the Alice-in-Wonderland metaphor for nanotechnology; and the effects of mediation on nanotechnology and electronic literature.
Nanoessence | Paul Thomas. The Nanoessence project aims to examine life at a sub-cellular level, re-examining space and scale within the human context. A single HaCat skin cell is analysed with an Atomic Force Microscope (AFM) to explore comparisons between, life and death at a nano level. The humanistic discourse concerning life is now being challenged by nanotechnological research that brings into question the concepts of what constitutes living. The Nanoessence project research is based on data gathered as part of a residency at SymbioticA, Centre of Excellence in Biological Arts, University of Western Australia and the Nanochemistry Research Institute, (NRI) Curtin University of Technology.
Nanoethics: The Ethical and Social Implications of Nanotechnology | Examining the impact of nanotechnology on society, this book offers incisive essays on the potential risks and rewards of applications of nanotechnology. It is written by both proponents and critics of this burgeoning technology. Following an introduction to nanotechnology and nanoethics, the book delves into the near-, mid-, and far-term issues related to current and future applications of nantechnology.
Nanofuture: What's Next For Nanotechnology | J. Storrs Hall. A leading nanotechnology researcher, Hall offers this popularization of the subject, covering the physical principles of engineering at the atomic scale, possible applications of nanomachines, and their potential alteration of human society. Before overreacting to that last prospect, readers would benefit from learning how a nano-sized gadget is built, which Hall explains clearly with references to chemical bonds, the van der Waals force, and quantum mechanical behavior. What to build comes next.
Nanogenerators for Self-powered Devices and Systems | Zhong Lin Wang's group at Georgia Tech is at the forefront of work on nanogenerators that can convert mechanical energy into electricity. Wang, Distinguished Professor and Director, Center for Nanostructure Characterization at Georgia Tech, has now authored a book about the development of nanogenerators, based on his group's published papers. The book is free of charge as a downloadable PDF. Although you may freely download this book and use it for non-commercial purposes, Wang's group own the copyright of the book and preserve the right of making any revisions and changes. The official publisher of the book is Georgia Institute of Technology.
Nanomaterials, Nanotechnologies and Design | Michael Ashby, Daniel Schodek, and Paulo Ferreira. The authors discuss the presence of nanomaterials and nanostructures in nature. The book continues with a discussion on the use of nanomaterials and nanotechnologies in design. The discussion then turns into how nanomaterials and nanotechnologies can play a role in various environments, such as structural and mechanical, thermal, electrical and magnetic, light and optical, sound and acoustic, as well as alternative energies. The last chapters of the book concentrate on application of nanomaterials, such as self-cleaning glasses, tiles, paints and textiles, antipollutant concrete, antomicrobial furniture and clothing, self-healing materials and materials that change color and shape.
Nanoscopic Materials : Size-Dependent Phenomena | Edited by Emil Roduner. The aim of this book is to present an overview of phenomena that are strongly modified at the nanometer length scale, where the properties of nanoscale structures progressively differ from the bulk. For each chapter, as well as a series of bullet points presented as a take-home message, there is also a list of several other sources of general information.
Nanostructure Science and Technology: A Worldwide Study | R.W. Siegel, E. Hu, and M.C. Roco. This 1999 document was prepared under the guidance of the Committee on Technology of the National Science and Technology Council, Interagency Working Group on NanoScience, Engineering, and Technology, with contributions from the Departments of Commerce, Defense, Energy and Transportation; and the National Institutes of Health, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and the National Science Foundation of the United States government.
Nanosystems: Molecular Machinery, Manufacturing, and Computation | K. Eric Drexler. For years, Drexler has stirred controversy by declaring that molecular nanotechnology will bring a sweeping technological revolution — delivering tremendous advances in miniaturization, materials, computers, and manufacturing of all kinds. Now, he’s written a detailed, top-to-bottom analysis of molecular machinery — how to design it, how to analyze it, and how to build it. Nanosystems is the first scientifically detailed description of developments that will revolutionize most of the industrial processes and products currently in use. This groundbreaking work draws on physics and chemistry to establish basic concepts and analytical tools.
Nanotechnology : Science, Innovation, and Opportunity | Lynn E. Foster. Suddenly, nanotechnology isn't science fiction or mere theory: It's becoming one of the world's fastest-growing, highest-impact industries. In Nanotechnology: Science, Innovation, and Opportunity, the field's leading experts offer an up-to-the-minute briefing on where the industry stands now, how it will unfold over the coming decade, and how it will impact you.
Nanotechnology Cookbook. Practical, Reliable and Jargon-free Experimental Procedures | Andrew Collins. The peculiarities of materials at the nanoscale demand an interdisciplinary approach which can be difficult for students and researchers who are trained predominantly in a single field. A chemist might not have experience at working with cell cultures or a physicist may have no idea how to make the gold colloid they need for calibrating an atomic force microscope. To help address this, the book uses an interdisciplinary approach to help one quickly synthesize information from multiple perspectives. The cookbook is intended to be a handy reference to flick through, and from which you may select a preparation. The book, therefore, supports fundamental nanoscience experimentation via user-friendly access to knowledge.
Nanotechnology for Green Building | Dr. George Elvin. The objective of this report is to provide an overview of current, and near future, applications for nanotech in green building. Part One maps the convergence of green building practices and nanotechnology. Part Two reviews material technologies: insulation, coatings, adhesives, lighting, energy generation and storage, air and water purifiers, and structural/non-structural composites. Part Three posits the benefits of nanotechnology in construction, including a small section on market forces and speculations on future trends and needs.
Nanotechnology is coming | Ralph C. Merkle. This is the English original of an article translated into German and published in the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung of Monday, September 11 2000 on page 55.
Nanotechnology Long-term Impacts and Research Directions: 2000 – 2020 | This 2010 report examines the last decade’s progress in the field and uncovers the opportunities for nanotechnology development in the United States and around the world in the next decade. It summarizes what has been achieved with the investments made since 2000, but more importantly, it describes the expected targets for nanotechnology R&D in the next decade and beyond and how to achieve them in the context of societal needs and other emerging technologies.
Nanotechnology: A Crash Course | Raul J. Martin-Palma & Akhlesh Lakhtakia. The past few decades have seen an explosive increase in our ability to create nanostructures and nanosystems with a great degree of control, using a diversity of techniques. This ability has been accompanied by a similar enhancement in our ability to characterize structures and systems at the nanoscale. This book provides a broad overview of those nanostructures and nanosystems (together termed ''Nanotechnology''). It covers structural characteristics and properties of nanostructures, nanofabrication techniques, methods for characterizing nanostructures, and applications for nanomaterials. The book also provides a thought-provoking assessment of the possible implications of nanotechnology in society, and likely future trends.
Nanotechnology: A Gentle Introduction to the Next Big Idea | Mark Ratner & Daniel Ratner. Nanotech pioneer Mark Ratner and technology entrepreneur Daniel Ratner show you how nanotech works, why it's so exciting, what's new, and what's next. They survey the entire field-technology and business-covering nanobots, molecular electronics, quantum computing, biostructures, nanotubes, molecular motors, nanosensors, and many other breakthrough applications. They provide easy-to-understand explanations of every key concept, plus dozens of visuals that bring nanotechnology to life.
Nanotechnology: Basic Science and Emerging Technologies | Mick Wilson. This book bridges the gap between detailed technical publications that are beyond the grasp of nonspecialists and popular science books, which may read more like science fiction than fact. After a basic introduction to the field, the authors explore topics that include molecular nanotechnology, nanomaterials and nanopowders, nanoelectronics, optics and photonics, and nanobiometrics. The book concludes with a look at some cutting-edge applications and prophecies for the future.
Nanotechnology: Engines On | Josep Saldaña Cavallé and Víctor Puntes. This eBook examines how nanotechnology is contributing to solutions to vital challenges. The book has been published by NanoWiki, and is available for free.
Our Molecular Future: How Nanotechnology, Robotics, Genetics and Artificial Intelligence Will Transform Our World | Douglas Mulhall. When Mulhall sees the future, he pictures every home having a virtually cost-free desktop fabricator, not unlike an ink jet printer, that is able to create any three-dimensional object desired; he envisions being able to change the color of a car, or clothes, simply by speaking. Mulhall, who heads an environmental software consultancy, believes that nanotechnology, the ability to rearrange individual atoms, will lead to technological advances that will change every aspect of our world, including our own species.
Perfect Reasonable Deviations from the Beaten Track: The Letters of Richard P. Feynman | Edited by Michelle Feynman, this book brings together previously unpublished letters by the originator of thinking small, organized more or less chronologically. The early letters, mostly sent to Feynman’s convalescent wife Arline, carry an Albuquerque postmark. It was there that the twenty-four-year-old Feynman, fresh out of graduate school, was working on the atomic bomb. The bulk of the material comes from Feynman’s days at Cal Tech.
QED: The Strange Theory of Light and Matter | Richard P. Feynman. Feynman's lectures must have been marvelous and they have been turned into an equally entrancing book, a vivid introduction to QED which is leavened and enlivened by his wit. Anyone with a curiosity about physics today should buy it, not only to get to grips with the deepest meaning of quantum theory but to possess a slice of history.
Quantum Electrodynamics | Richard Phillips Feynman. This book collects a set of lectures by Feynman on quantum electrodynamics and a few reprints of his papers on the subject. It was written for Feynman's peers. Each topic was solidly grounded on the basis of specific arguments. This is how things are done.
Self Assembly : The Science of Things That Put Themselves Together | John A. Pelesko. This fully-illustrated book describes how self-assembly is achieved in nature, explaining key concepts, patterns, and structures. Man-made systems are then discussed, giving simple instructions which enable students to build simpler structures. Exercises are included at the end of each chapter and a website address is added which links to videos of the experiments and to the researchers profiled in the text.
Smart Materials | Axel Ritter. The use of smart materials in architecture is a dynamic and innovative area merging research, development, and use. Smart materials, with their reversible characteristics, respond to stimuli such as light, temperature, and electrical field by changing their form, their color, their viscosity, etc. These materials make it possible, for example, to develop self-acting, kinetic facades and wallpaper that changes its colour and pattern based on temperature and light. This book presents the development of these materials and also describes their use in the contexts of architecture, design, and art. It offers a systematic overview with a detailed discussion of properties, technologies, products, and projects based on dozens of examples.
Smarticles: Nanotechnology Materializes | Peter Yeadon. Published in ArchitectureBoston v.11 n.4, July/Aug 2008. Although not a book, this essay provides a good introduction to the emergence of nanotechnology in architecture and design.
Springer Handbook of Nanotechnology | Edited by Bharat Bhushan. Handbook provides practical information on the fundamentals and applications of Nanotechnology, presented in a structured two-color layout. Topics include nanostructures, nanomechanics, MEMS/NEMS materials and devices, molecular technology, industrial applications, and more.
The Nanotech Pioneers - Where are they taking us? | Steven Edwards. Hype, hope, or horror? A vivid look at nanotechnology, written by an insider and experienced science writer.
The Next Big Thing is Really Small: How Nanotechnology is Going to Change the Future of Your Business | Jack Uldrich & Deb Newberry. Uldrich and Newberry compare November 9, 1989, with the day the Wright Brothers flew at Kitty Hawk. This was the day two IBM scientists coaxed individual atoms to build a structure, the IBM logo. As a result, nanotechnology, the science of manipulating material at the atomic level, was born.
The Next Fifty Years : Science in the First Half of the Twenty-first Century | Edited by John Brockman. Containing twenty-five essays written by leading scientists, ethicists, technologists and industrialists, this book discussess what life might be like in 2050.
The Organic Approach to Architecture | Deborah Gans & Zehra Kuz. This book resulted from a conference at the Pratt Institute School of Architecture. The structure of the book, like the conference, has three sections that feature practitioners, theorists, and historians from the fields of architecture, biology, engineering, mathematics, critical theory, and computer graphics. This broad range of contributors is one of the strengths of the book although, as implied in the editorial statement “it remains to be seen whether the organic approach will act as a catalyst of change”, the book lacks a conclusive statement. We applaud the clear organization of this book. The first section examines the term ‘organic’ and considers the scope of its use in architecture. The second part addresses tectonic ideas and technologies (material, structural, environmental, and digital) as means. The final segment considered factors that contextualize organic architecture. The book returns to advancements in nanotechnology a number of times and it is in the last two sections that John Johansen marginally improves upon ideas that were offered in his book, Nanoarchitecture, published in 2002. Interestingly, many of the themes in this book complement issues surrounding the emerging implications of nanotechnology. Haresh Lalvani’s belief that organic architecture will evolve from biomimicry to self-perpetuating, living biological organism is one example.
Understanding Nanotechnology | Editors at Scientific American. The book presents the cutting edge of a new technology that will find usage in medicine, space exploration, communications, manufacturing, and almost every other aspect of modern society. Imagine getting an injection of "smart" molecules that can seek out cancer cells and destroy them without harming any of the surrounding tissue. Imagine a simultaneous space launch via the Shuttle of thousands of robotic probes, each no bigger than an insect, and each programmed to do a single task in concert with all of the others. And that's just the beginning.
What Is Nanotechnology and Why Does it Matter? From Science to Ethics | Dr. Fritz Allhoff and Dr. Patrick Lin co-wrote the book with Dr. Daniel Moore, an IBM nanoscientist. Allhoff and Lin are cofounders of _The Nanoethics Group_ and co-editors of two anthologies in nanoethics, while Moore is an advisory board member of the organization. "We're excited about this book, because it fills a gap in the field of nanotechnology and society," Allhoff explains. "While anthologies offer a wide range of expert perspectives, they can feel disjointed. Our new monograph provides a consistent tone and running narrative to better explain both the science and ethical impacts of nanotechnology, making this difficult but important subject easier to understand."
What is What in the Nanoworld : A Handbook on Nanoscience and Nanotechnology | Victor E. Borisenko & Stefano Ossicini. A quick overview about different interesting phenomena and peculiarities observed in nanostructures.