Nanotechnology and G.R.I.N.: Technology for the 21st Century
Nanotechnology – precision engineering at the molecular scale – has been described as the industrial revolution of the 21st century. Mimicking biological systems, such as DNA, researchers are engineering new systems with specific characteristics and functions:
• stronger, lighter, smarter, self-assembling materials – ceramic particles in clear-coat (first used by Mercedes) make cars nearly scratchproof; other materials are being used in clothes, luggage, sports equipment, and the glass surface of your smart phone – and in fields from art and architecture to spacecraft fabrication;
• more effective energy generation, distribution, and storage – new research from Northwestern University promises lithium-ion batteries with ten times the current charge capacity and the ability to recharge in minutes;
• smaller, faster, and easier to use computers – nano-scale electronics make smart phones and tablets more capable, with extremely easy to use apps, and able to take on tasks that formerly required much larger computers;
• targeted, flexible, and effective medical diagnostics and therapies – inexpensive postage stamp-sized paper-based sensors from Harvard diagnose selected diseases in minutes.
Today, a broader concept – G.R.I.N. – is making its way into our perceptions. G.R.I.N. stands for Genetics, Robotics, Information Tech, and Nanotech. G.R.I.N. appears as a dense conceptual network, with each new advance spawning further possibilities.
This course will examine these topics, look at the benefits they’ll bring to our lives, discuss how they might interact, and consider whether G.R.I.N. is a better descriptor for 21st Century Tech.
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We are available upon arrangement to deliver presentations, seminars, and workshops.
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