One-Molecule Nanocar Takes a Test Drive 51
MrSeb writes "Just a couple of months after nanoengineers at Tufts University developed an 18-atom single-molecule electric motor, researchers from the University of Twente in the Netherlands have gone one better: They've made a car using just a single molecule. To create the vehicle, Tibor Kudernac and colleagues crafted a molecule with a long body and four 'paddle' (wheel) features attached at each corner. The molecule was created with a bottom-up process, where each part of the molecule is gently slotted together. By applying tiny amounts of electricity with a scanning tunneling microscope (STM) to the finished vehicle, the wheels are forced to make a quarter turn. The wheels naturally take another quarter turn to restore equilibrium — and then the STM starts the process all over again. The end result is very slow forward movement — six nanometers per 10 electric pulses."
Hardly. (Score:1)
You honestly think advances in nanomachines are pointless?
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Which goes to show too few investors read good science fiction. Btw, MASER came first. Many in the field despaired for years from having a neat gizmo and no takers. I had laser-assisted surgery in '61 at Walter Reed, so at least I got some use out of it fairly early.
I look forward to nano-NASCAR races. What I really await are the various nanobots not yet built that'll clean the gunk out of my arteries and lungs, for starters.
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I look forward to nano-NASCAR races.
19th century nascar: driver in car in racetrack.
21st century nascar: car in racetrack in driver!
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It is a travesty that you were not modded up for that.
Re:Cool (Score:4, Funny)
Not at all. Have you seen the parking fees in town lately? This product serves a real need. Now you can drive to work on a molecule, and keep it in your pocket during work hours. Moreover, it's eco-friendly. I'm told molecules run on electricity.
Re:Cool (Score:4, Funny)
Why can't people be happy with what they've got?!?
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Where do you store the millions of STMs that you need to run them?
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Where do you store the millions of STMs that you need to run them?
In the millions of molecular trunks, of course.
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I bow before your nano-awesomeness
Not going to go anywhere (Score:1)
Electric cars are a fad. Jeremy Clarkson told me that.
Where's my .. (Score:2)
Single molecule nano hover car?
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Stuck to your car keys. It's been there all along. ;-)
Can't you see it?
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1 molecule does not imply that it is less than 18 atoms. From looking at the fucking article I can see that they have used much more than 18 atoms. Fuck this shitpost.
You have zero reading comprehension skills. The summary said they "did one better" because it's an entire "car" from a single molecule, as opposed to just a "motor" from a single molecule.
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Where does TFS say the "car" is made of less than 18 atoms?
It is pretty cool, IMO. Similar stuff has been done before [nature.com], but I didn't know of any cars where the wheels actually provide the propulsion. Then again, I am no expert in the field, by far.
Great news (Score:2)
...for really short people.
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...for really short people.
Expecting the Monday follow-up "Nano People" article? That woule really excite some people.
Tuft's University also introduced the first nano car program for public safety - the Nano Tufty Club
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mechanically it'd be doable. I don't think so much on the DNA or neural level. How much of the so-called "junk" DNA is actually junk? Just the bits that haven't been patented yet? As for nervous tissue: it is estimated that less than 4% of the brain is actually used in the most genius of us, but what of the rest? What is it actually used for if not mechanical control, thought processes, storage, etc? We just don't know, ergo we don't know how much we can prune before we make the transition from Homo sapiens
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The thing with 4% (7%,8%,9%,10%) brain usage is a 70's myth.
Attach a three atom knife to it (Score:1)
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Attach a three atom knife to it with a suture gadget and send right into the heart for a by-pass
While the car may be small, the means to control it may be considerably larger (still no problem for even the tiniest capillary) but what are the body's defences to make of these tiny hoards roving aroun inside you?
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And then two, 4 atom machine guns, and we can have Micro Death Race 2100!
It's euthanasia day in the Lymph nodes!
Nature letter (Score:4, Informative)
I think this is the actual article [nature.com](paywalled), in case anyone else is wondering about the details & has access to the journal.
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Awesome efficiency...time for the government (Score:1, Troll)
Mini Car sketch (Score:1)
This is one of the least offensive sketches from Jam but it still contains bad language and is NSFW.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AzquCGpuIsQ [youtube.com]
The actual show is probably Not Safe for Decent People but is awesome if you have a deviant sense of humor and can find a suitable time to laugh.
An STM to drive the wheels? (Score:2)
You mean they make a cool high tech nanocar but you still have to get out and push?
Bummer!
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They couldn't afford to buy nano-gas.
Slow down! (Score:2)
"You're driving like a bat out of Hades! You're gonna get us all killed!"
Next trend (Score:1)
Really? (Score:2)
Come on, at one cell organism, it must have been shaped like a car, to come up with that crappy headline....seriously?
Top Atom (Score:1)
I'm not going to get excited about this until I see it reviewed on Top Gear. I bet the Stig could get it up to at least 9 nanometers per 10 electric pulses.