Nanotech

[TheReasoner]

I assume most of you know that I'm a nanotech MS student.
Well, one potential application of nanomaterials is a space elevator as you also probably know.

I am often surprised at how people think about that though.

The Space elevator. Now that's awesome
This is my personal favorite application of nanomaterials. The world-altering potential of such devices is extreme. We're talking asteroid mining, space tourism, moving industry to space [eventually] reducing production costs as well as material costs, plus the microgravity and cheap readily avilable deep vacuum would make brand new products possible with virtually no to no environmental concerns apart from "Don't let it float around uncontrollably".

Yet the answer I often get is...: "Well, that isn't very practical"

... Not practical? *ahem* this one application is potentially revolutionary FAR beyond anything the industrial revolution brought around! And this is only ONE of a - for all intents and purposes - infinite range of applications of the nanotechnology we're starting to look at. Put a few of those elevators up and we could potentially alter the face of mankind and the earth - in a positive fashion. Yes, weapons platforms could potentially be put up, but so could they now. So that won't change. What might is everything else.


Of course I'm an optimist and I might be a little too optimistic about the elevator. It COULD be we aren't up to the task of building it. After all it appears ignoramuses have more and more power. Projects such as the Apollo mission wouldn't be undertaken now because people fear science and they don't see any return from it. Better to cure diseases according to some. Well, the thing is that this isn't an "either or" situation. Space provides serious opportunities for both production of and research on medical applications. The thing is everything is connected to everything else and opening space could really mean extremely much to all fields of science and industry both. Besides, often breakthroughs in one field leads to breakthroughs in others. X-rays, MRIs, the internet... And well, pretty much any and all modern diagnostic tools and life-saving products are the result of totally unrelated research in another field.

Open space. Advocate a significant increase in funding for related and unrelated research.

 

[Hespera]

I want the concession for the revolving restaurant at the top!

 

[Naraoia]

Right now, my biggest excitement about "nano" things is not the remote prospect of space elevators, but nanopore DNA sequencing. It's infinitely more relevant to my line of work, and it's gonna be seriously awesome when it becomes widely available. I heard someone is already selling machines...

 

[TheReasoner]

Right now, my biggest excitement about "nano" things is not the remote prospect of space elevators, but nanopore DNA sequencing. It's infinitely more relevant to my line of work, and it's gonna be seriously awesome when it becomes widely available. I heard someone is already selling machines...

There is so much to be excited about! What a great tiny world there is out there!

Forgive the narrow focus of a space enthusiast

 

[Naraoia]

There is so much to be excited about! What a great tiny world there is out there!

Forgive the narrow focus of a space enthusiast

All is forgiven, if you forgive the pragmatic desires of a biologist limited by the cost of next-gen sequencing

 

[TheReasoner]

All is forgiven, if you forgive the pragmatic desires of a biologist limited by the cost of next-gen sequencing

No problem at all!
After this post I suppose it's a little unexpected, but I'm considering a specialization in nano-biotechnology.

My program is a five year program you see. Straight to an MS in one fell swoop. I'm a little "wet behind the ears" still. At the end of my second year now, and the third year we'll choose specialization.

I actually found biology boring, dreadfully so until the mandatory biotech course. Most of my classmates hate it and dislike the lecturer, too. Me, I fell in love with it.

We'll see. But it's a fascinating field!

 

[Naraoia]

No problem at all!
After this post I suppose it's a little unexpected, but I'm considering a specialization in nano-biotechnology.

Woo-hoo!

I actually found biology boring, dreadfully so until the mandatory biotech course.

Careful, now, I might reconsider all that forgiveness

 

[solarwave]

I agree, it is pretty amazing. Sadly, I doubt I will see anything like that in my lifetime, what do you think?

 

[TheReasoner]

I agree, it is pretty amazing. Sadly, I doubt I will see anything like that in my lifetime, what do you think?

It's within our grasp I think. The problem is funding, hence political will. Which rests on the public and the public is uninterested and without sufficient understanding of or appreciation for the possibilities and benefits.

That said, I think putting man on the moon in the 60s was probably a more momentous task than building the space elevator would be today.

 

[Naraoia]

It's within our grasp I think. The problem is funding, hence political will. Which rests on the public and the public is uninterested and without sufficient understanding of or appreciation for the possibilities and benefits.

That said, I think putting man on the moon in the 60s was probably a more momentous task than building the space elevator would be today.

Could someone get all the sci-fi fans of the world to donate? A charity drive to lift us into space.

Man, that sounds quite crazy.

 

[TheReasoner]

Could someone get all the sci-fi fans of the world to donate? A charity drive to lift us into space.

Man, that sounds quite crazy.

Maybe that guy. Shame he's dead.

Oh well. There's always Leonard Nemoy.

Crazy? Maybe. So was both Leiff Eriksson's expedition to America and Columbus' expeditions later on. And the Apollo mission. And the Wright Brothers' first flight. ARPA-net was also crazy. Not to mention splitting the atom. Or the human genome project.

I say: We shouldn't avoid doing this because it is difficult. It precisely because it is difficult we SHOULD do it!

As it is science funding is ridiculously low. Recall the extremely expensive LHC? It cost about the same as two stealth bombers. The US built the bombers, but let LHC remain in the EU's hands. Here some complain it was an expensive undertaking. What nonsense! It isn't expensive! Military, THAT'S expensive.

 

[Naraoia]

Maybe that guy. Shame he's dead.

That smile disturbs me for some reason.

Crazy? Maybe. So was both Leiff Eriksson's expedition to America and Columbus' expeditions later on. And the Apollo mission. And the Wright Brothers' first flight. ARPA-net was also crazy. Not to mention splitting the atom. Or the human genome project.

I meant funding it from nerd donations was crazy, not the idea itself

As it is science funding is ridiculously low. Recall the extremely expensive LHC? It cost about the same as two stealth bombers. The US built the bombers, but let LHC remain in the EU's hands. Here some complain it was an expensive undertaking. What nonsense! It isn't expensive! Military, THAT'S expensive.

Yeah. Good luck trying to convince the world...

 

[TheReasoner]

That smile disturbs me for some reason.

Ahhh, it's Carl Sagan. He could do ANYTHING and he'd still be awesome. Almost anything at least. I'd go so far as to say that if he dressed up as a lollipop and began every other sentence with "Whoopla!" he'd still be awesome.

I meant funding it from nerd donations was crazy, not the idea itself

Yep. I got it. And, I agree. Crazy like an expedition to mars. Market it that way and it COULD work!

Yeah. Good luck trying to convince the world...

Well, you know what I say:

We shouldn't avoid doing this because it is difficult. It precisely because it is difficult we SHOULD do it!

Mix Star-Trek, Babylon 5, Dr. Who and Battlestar Galactica and you've got a show which is almost as awesome as a real space elevator.

 

[Naraoia]

Ahhh, it's Carl Sagan. He could do ANYTHING and he'd still be awesome. Almost.

I did love Cosmos to pieces. I just don't want to look at that particular picture

Yep. I got it. And, I agree. Crazy like an expedition to mars. Market it that way and it COULD work!

And ask Randall Munroe to advertise.

Mix Star-Trek, Babylon 5, Dr. Who and Battlestar Galactica and you've got a show which is almost as awesome as a real space elevator.

That's it, I'm not a True Nerd. The only one of these I'm remotely familiar with (meaning watched a few episodes fifteen years ago) is Star Trek :o

 

[TheReasoner]

I did love Cosmos to pieces. I just don't want to look at that particular picture

Fair deal

And ask Randall Munroe to advertise.

That's it, I'm not a True Nerd. The only one of these I'm remotely familiar with (meaning watched a few episodes fifteen years ago) is Star Trek :o

Oh ye of little faith! Ye must be converted! Hold on, I shalt but grab my special edition LOTR to hit you over the head with. Or do you prefer something along the lines of "Hyperion"? Ah, stuff it. I'll get my kindle. It's got them all.

 

[Woden84]

Personally I'm waiting until we can inject ourselves with nanobots so I can become JC Denton.

Mix Star-Trek, Babylon 5, Dr. Who and Battlestar Galactica and you've got a show which is almost as awesome as a real space elevator.

Oh, you have to throw Star Wars in there! Imagine, the Doctor as a Jedi with a sonic lightsaber!

 

[TheReasoner]

Personally I'm waiting until we can inject ourselves with nanobots so I can become JC Denton.



Oh, you have to throw Star Wars in there! Imagine, the Doctor as a Jedi with a sonic lightsaber!

Mmm. True. But keep Jar-Jar Binks very far away from the show. PLEASE!

 

[Woden84]

Mmm. True. But keep Jar-Jar Binks very far away from the show. PLEASE!

I try to imagine that he was just a horrible, horrible nightmare and isn't actually in the movies.

 

[TheReasoner]

I try to imagine that he was just a horrible, horrible nightmare and isn't actually in the movies.

I love your profile picture by the way

 

[Woden84]

I love your profile picture by the way

Thanks. I was actually looking for a pic I saw a long time ago which was a combination of the symbol for the Empire and the Federation. A United Empire of Planets if you will, but this was the closest I could find.