Path: utzoo!censor!geac!torsqnt!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!bcm!dimacs.rutgers.edu!aramis.rutgers.edu!athos.rutgers.edu!nanotech From: salsbury@acsu.buffalo.edu (patrick g salsbury) Newsgroups: sci.nanotech Subject: Medical Nanotech and other current uses? Message-ID: Date: 5 Dec 90 03:59:45 GMT Sender: nanotech@athos.rutgers.edu Organization: SUNY Buffalo Lines: 48 Approved: nanotech@aramis.rutgers.edu HI! This is my first post to this group. I've been trying to follow nanotech for a while, and something I've noticed is what appears to be a lot of (no offense) daydreaming going on about what is/can/will be done with nanotech. I see lots of posts about "people can make anything they want" and "everything will be free," etc., but it seems like we're forgetting one vital fact. (Or else *I'VE* been kept in the dark about something!) That fact is that NANOTECH IS NOT NEARLY THAT ADVANCED! I've heard of one, maybe two, nanomachines thus far. One was a "Pentad" and was composed of 5 atoms. It didn't do too much. Nanotech is not going to be a cure-all right away. You aren't going to be able to put together anything under the sun with any generic nanomachine. As I understand it, once you begin to work on the molecular and atomic level, you are operating on principles much akin to organics. You will have to "grow" your (macro)machines. And given the general trend in organics towards non-euclidean form, you won't be able to "grow" a car, or a computer. More likely, you will grow large, relatively amorphous, or at least dissimilar, macro-things. :) (Like people who come in all shapes and sizes.) The other thing is, everyone is talking about what they can do with nanotech as if we've had it for a long time. It's like saying "Well, all we need to do is hook up the hyperspace drive to the interstellar transport, and we can set up our atmospheric processors on T Tauri-4." That's all fine and good, except that WE DON'T HAVE ANY OF THAT STUFF! I'd like to know what is actually being done with nanotech. CURRENTLY. What is our state of development? What sort of constructs can we build/grow? Any? And on an even more specific level, I'd like to know about the medical application/usage of nanotech. Specifically as regards "cleaning" the body of various accumulative pollutants, like cholesterol, carbon monoxide, various heavy metals, and other toxins. This could be very useful on the microscopic level as an aid towards longevity research. I don't mean to rain on anyone's parade. I like to dream, too! :) I just like to dream along targetable goals, and have something to work towards. Thanks! -Pat ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Patrick G. Salsbury V291NHTP@UBVMS (Bitnet) State University of NY @ Buffalo SALSBURY@AUTARCH.ACSU.BUFFALO.EDU Disclaimers are silly. ;^) Brought to you by Super Global Mega Corp .com