Scientists from Sao Paulo State University have found a way to take the fibers from bananas, pineapples and other fruits, and transform them into strong, durable, lightweight plastic. Though expensive to mass produce, the fruit-based plastics are reportedly made of “nanocellulose” fibers that rival Kevlar in strength but are renewable, and the researchers believe they could be widely used within a couple of years. “The properties of these plastics are incredible,” Alcides Leão, a researcher at Sao Paulo State University, said in a statement. “They are light, but very strong — 30 percent lighter and three to four times stronger.” That could reduce the weight of new vehicles, which would increase fuel economy. “So far, we’re focusing on replacing automotive plastics,” Leão says. “But in the future, we may be able to replace steel and aluminum automotive parts using these plant-based nanocellulose materials.” Read More Read More
Posts Tagged ‘Future’
Strong Plastic Made of Nanocellulose Fibers
Posted in Nanotechnology 
Tags: fibers, Future, increase-fuel, new-vehicles, paulo-state, percent-lighter, replace-steel, Researchers, take-the-fibers, the-fruit-based, these-plastics, University 
Comments OffPresent status of solid state photoelectrochemical solar cells and dye sensitized solar cells using PEO-based polymer electrolytes
Due to energy crises in the future, much effort is being directed towards alternate sources. Solar energy is accepted as a novel substitute for conventional sources of energy. Out of the long list of various types of solar cells available on the market, solid state photoelectrochemical solar cells (SSPECs) and dye sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) are proposed as an alternative to costly crystalline solar cell. This review provides a common platform for SSPECs and DSSCs using polymer electrolyte, particularly on polyethylene oxide (PEO)-based polymer electrolytes. Due to numerous advantageous properties of PEO, it is frequently used as an electrolyte in both SSPECs as well as DSSCs. In DSSCs, so far high efficiency (more than 11%) has been obtained only by using volatile liquid electrolyte, which suffers many disadvantages, such as corrosion, leakage and evaporation. The PEO-based solid polymer proves its importance and could be used to solve the problems stated above. The recent de…
Posted in Nanotechnology Tags: being-directed, common-platform, energy-crises, frequently-used, Future, Market, problems, problems-stated, REVIEW, review-provides, solar-cells, sspecs-as-well, using-volatile, various-types Comments OffPhysicist and television host sees future for nanotechnology and AI
Foresight Board of Advisors member law professor Glenn Harlan Reynolds reviewed Michio Kaku’s Physics of the Future , which he describes as “a wide-ranging tour of what to expect from technological progress over the next century or so.” From “ Let’s Hope the Robots Are Nice “: Do not rage against the machine. Embrace the machine. That is the core message of Michio Kaku’s “Physics of the Future.” … Nanotechnology will be at first rare and expensive and, by the end of the century, commonplace and cheap, largely fulfilling the predictions of pioneering scientists such as Richard Feynman and Eric Drexler. In a world where programmed molecular assembly powered by sunlight can produce almost anything out of raw materials, material wealth will be widespread. … Prof. Reynolds agrees with Prof. Kaku’s “largely optimistic view” of nanotechnology, artificial intelligence, and the future overall, but points to one disturbing passage that concerns the present—not the future: The most disturbing passage in “Physics of the Future” doesn’t concern the future; it’s about the present. In that passage, Mr. Kaku recounts a lunchtime conversation with physicist Freeman Dyson at Princeton. Mr. Dyson described growing up in the late days of the British Empire and seeing that most of his smartest classmates were not—as prior generations had been—interested in developing new forms of electrical and chemical plants, but rather in massaging and managing other people’s money. The result was a loss of England’s science and engineering base. Now, Mr. Dyson said, he was seeing the phenomenon for the second time in his life, in America. Mr. Kaku, summarizing the scientist’s message: “The brightest minds at Princeton were no longer tackling the difficult problems in physics and mathematics but were being drawn into careers like investment banking. Again, he thought, this might be a sign of decay, when the leaders of a society can no longer support the inventions and technology that made their society great.” The future belongs to those who show up. Mr. Kaku’s description of that future is an appealing one. But will we show up? Is Prof. Dyson’s assessment an accurate description of the current state of Western civilization in general and the US in particular? My (thoroughly non-scientific and limited) casual observations suggest that it is. The workhorses of the scientific enterprise are postdoctoral research associates (and to a lesser extent, graduate students). When I began my research career in the early 70s most postdocs were American and most of the ones who were not were European. When I (briefly) attempted to get back into research last year nearly all the postdocs I saw were Asian (not Americans of Asian descent, but visitors from Asia). It is wonderful that American universities attract such talented, energetic visitors, but worrisome that we are no longer “growing our own”. Is the US making the necessary effort to “show up” for the future?
Posted in Nanotechnology Tags: british, foresight-board, Future, future medicine, Life, michio-kaku, molecular nanotechnology, Nanomedicine, NANOTECH, opinion, People, Predictions, Scientist, Society, Space Comments OffWorld Market For Carbon Nanotubes, Nanofibers, Fullerenes, POSS and Graphene
Research and Markets Ltd. reports that the market for carbon nanotubes ( CNT s), nanofibers, fullerenes and POSS and graphene grew at an annual rate of 30% per year up to 2008; however the market slowed down due to the global recession but picked up again in the fourth quarter of 2009, driven by demand from the semiconductors, electronics and energy markets. According to their report , these will continue to be the main application markets through to 2017, when the market for these nanomaterials will account for an estimated US$3205.8million in revenues. Main market drivers include the need to improve the performance and speed of semiconductors and electronics, reduce costs and increase safety in aerospace and military applications, and increase the efficiency of devices. There are over 100 companies producing carbon nanotubes, carbon nanofibers, fullerenes, POSS and graphene, with many more companies utilizing these materials for incorporation into new products and processes across a raft of industries. Main producers and application developers are Arkema, Bayer, Showa Denko, NEC , Hyperion Catalysis, Mitsui, Nanocyl, Shenzhen Nanotech Port, Iljin Nanotech and Mitsubishi Chemical. This new 132 page report from leading technology publisher Future Markets, Inc. provides a comprehensive analysis of these exciting new markets through to 2017.
Posted in Nanotechnology Tags: Efficiency, Future, future-markets, iljin-nanotech, Market, market-drivers, Markets, markets-through, more-companies, Performance, Semiconductors, showa-denko, the-efficiency, these-exciting Comments OffTime magazine cover article on the Singularity, Ray Kurzweil, AI and nanotechnology
Thanks to Terry Miller for bringing to our attention prominent and generally favorable coverage of the Singularity. The cover of the February 21, 2011 issue of Time is devoted to an article by Lev Grossman titled “2045: The Year Man Becomes Immortal”. The article can be found online at http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,2048138,00.html . The article develops smoothly from Raymond Kurzweil’s appearance on a game show called I’ve Got a Secret in 1965 to his work on artificial intelligence leading toward the Singularity. The difficult thing to keep sight of when you’re talking about the Singularity is that even though it sounds like science fiction, it isn’t, no more than a weather forecast is science fiction. It’s not a fringe idea; it’s a serious hypothesis about the future of life on Earth. There’s an intellectual gag reflex that kicks in anytime you try to swallow an idea that involves super-intelligent immortal cyborgs, but suppress it if you can, because while the Singularity appears to be, on the face of it, preposterous, it’s an idea that rewards sober, careful evaluation. After a brief but very informative survey of the concept of the Singularity, covering nanotechnology and life extension as well as artificial intelligence: A hundred years from now, Kurzweil and de Grey and the others could be the 22nd century’s answer to the Founding Fathers — except unlike the Founding Fathers, they’ll still be alive to get credit — or their ideas could look as hilariously retro and dated as Disney’s Tomorrowland. Nothing gets old as fast as the future. But even if they’re dead wrong about the future, they’re right about the present. They’re taking the long view and looking at the big picture. You may reject every specific article of the Singularitarian charter, but you should admire Kurzweil for taking the future seriously. Singularitarianism is grounded in the idea that change is real and that humanity is in charge of its own fate and that history might not be as simple as one damn thing after another. Kurzweil likes to point out that your average cell phone is about a millionth the size of, a millionth the price of and a thousand times more powerful than the computer he had at MIT 40 years ago. Flip that forward 40 years and what does the world look like? If you really want to figure that out, you have to think very, very far outside the box. Or maybe you have to think further inside it than anyone ever has before.
Posted in Nanotechnology Tags: attention, dated-as-disney, Future, future medicine, health & longevity, memetics, Nanotechnology, News, Price, singularitarian, Singularity Comments OffTeleportation Into The Future
Entanglement is the strange quantum phenomenon in which two or more particles become so deeply linked that they share the same existence, and that leads to some counterintuitive effects. In particular, when two entangled particles become widely separated, a measurement on one immediately influences the other, regardless of the distance between them. This has profound implications about the nature of reality. Now there is something else to puzzle over. Researchers at the University of Queensland, Australia, say they’ve discovered a new type of entanglement that extends, not through space, but through time. Their work shows that entanglement is so deeply enmeshed in the universe that a measurement in the past has an automatic influence on the future. This may sound like a truism, but this isn’t ordinary cause and effect; there are some interesting subtleties to the phenomenon. In their paper, the researchers report on how teleportation provides a shortcut into the future; they say that it is possible to travel into the future without being present during the time in between. That’s a fascinating scenario that immediately raises many questions. One of the first that springs to mind is what advantage might we get from this process. Might it be possible, for example, to make short-lived particles live longer by teleporting them into the future? That isn’t clear. Neither is it clear exactly how such an experiment might be done although. Presumably, it wouldn’t be very different to the type of teleportation that is done in labs all over the world today, as a matter of routine; in fact, the researchers say that time entanglement is interchangeable with space entanglement (i.e., entanglement at a given time). Read More Paper
Posted in Nanotechnology Tags: Australia, deeply-enmeshed, during-the-time, Future, Nature, over-the-world, Researchers, the-researchers, Time, Universe, University Comments OffProject launched to create and test a molecular-sized processor chip
A project headed by two-time Foresight Institute Feynman Prize winner Prof. Christian Joachim (he shared the 1997 Experimental prize and was the sole winner of the 2005 Theoretical prize ) joins Singapore’s A*STAR with 10 European Union research organizations to lay the foundations for creating and testing a molecular-sized processor chip. A press release from Singapore’s Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) “ Singapore’s A*STAR participates in groundbreaking European Union (EU) project to jointly create a processor that is the size of a molecule “: A*STAR’s Institute of Materials Research and Engineering (IMRE) partners 10 EU research organisations to work on the groundbreaking €10 million ATMOL project that lays the foundation for creating and testing a molecular-sized processor chip. A*STAR’s IMRE and 10 EU research organisations are working together to build what is essentially a single molecule processor chip. As a comparison, a thousand of such molecular chips could fit into one of today’s microchips, the core device that determines computational speed. The ambitious project, termed Atomic Scale and Single Molecule Logic Gate Technologies (ATMOL), will establish a new process for making a complete molecular chip. This means that computing power can be increased significantly but take up only a small fraction of the space that is required by today’s standards. The fabrication process involves the use of three unique ultra high vacuum (UHV) atomic scale interconnection machines which build the chip atom-by-atom. These machines physically move atoms into place one at a time at cryogenic temperatures. One of these machines is located in A*STAR’s IMRE. “IMRE holds the only patent in the world for making solid interconnections and packaging of a molecular chip”, says Prof Christian Joachim, who is leading the entire project, explaining the reason A*STAR’s IMRE was chosen as a partner in this groundbreaking project. “The UHV interconnection machine at IMRE is the only one in the entire project that can study the performance of a single molecule logic gate and surface atom circuit logic gate at the moment”, added Prof Joachim, who is the Head of Molecular Nanoscience and Picotechnology at the French Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), and a Visiting Investigator at IMRE. Prof Joachim’s team in IMRE is one of the pioneers in atom technology, having built the world’s first controllable molecular gear. “The work in this project is extremely important in setting the stage for how computer chips and electronics may be made in the future”, said Prof Andy Hor, Executive Director of IMRE. “The fact that we are the only non-EU research organisation in this project speaks volumes about the level of Singapore’s research and how far we have come in building our R&D capabilities”. According to Dr. David Guedj, the European Officer following ATMOL for The European Commission, “ATMOL is the flagship project coming out of the recent Call for Proposals on Molecular Scale Devices and Systems”. It was launched by the Future and Emerging Technologies (FET-Proactive) part of the Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) programme of the European Commission. FET-Proactive supports transformational, long-term collaborative frontier research in Europe, with a view to develop scientific excellence and technological innovation. As part of the project, annual ATMOL conferences will be held to bring together all project partners for progress updates. The inaugural conference will be hosted by Singapore next year. The project will officially commence on 1 January 2011. Credit to Kurzweil Accelerating Intelligence News .
Posted in Nanotechnology Tags: european, european-union, French, Future, imre, logic, molecular electronics, molecular nanotechnology, Project, Science, Singapore, single-molecule, Space, Technology Comments OffThe Future of Biotechnology Jobs in the UK
The Future of Biotechnology Jobs in the UK
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The Future of Biotechnology Jobs in the UK
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The Future of Biotechnology Jobs in the UK
By: Stephen Trigg
About the Author
Stephen Trigg is the CEO of Quanta Consultancy Services, specialists in IT Jobs and Pharmaceutical Jobs, having provided Contract and Permanent Recruitment for many years.
(ArticlesBase SC #222513)
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/ – The Future of Biotechnology Jobs in the UK
Science and technology have become fused in many ways throughout the United Kingdom. Medical technology has advanced immeasurably, applying electronics and computing to assist in many forms of diagnostic equipment and tests. Pharmaceutical companies facilitate their ability to compete in a difficult global marketplace by investing in mobile computers and PDAs for personnel in order to enable them to carry full information and present their product lines. Chemical engineering departments throughout the UK are utilising highly advanced equipment, often linked to computer technology, in the course of their work. One result of this growth in the application of technology , in particular for medical science, is the creation of a vibrant biotechnology job market in the UK.
Biotechnology may be regarded as the combination of technology and living organisms in the interest of scientific endeavour and advancement. The efforts mentioned above are only a few examples of the jobs available to graduates interested in this burgeoning field. The biotechnology job market, however, is a difficult one to assess for young professionals since it is a relatively new field in the private sector. However, an astute biotechnology engineer or consultant may appraise job prospects by looking at three key branches of this scientific field.
Red biotechnological endeavours are those that involve the medical profession. These scientific efforts have produced amazing results, including advancement in the use of living organisms to create antibodies and the generation of new vaccines. The medical profession is grappling with the ethics of certain aspects of biotechnology, including manipulation of genes by powerful computer-aided operations. However, professionals with a medical background and an understanding of information technology will be able to take advantage of the fact that red biotechnology will expand further in the future.
Many manufacturers and industrial facilities are beginning to utilise gray biotechnology in order to cut overhead costs and improve environmental protection. Gray biotechnological professionals, like chemical and production engineers, look to the enhanced use of living organisms to make processes easier and more acceptable. Facilities that treat sewage and water, for example, can use certain bacteria in the filtration process to eliminate harmful organisms before they reach the public. These positions are perhaps the most prevalent in the United Kingdom and biotech professionals interested in this field may benefit accordingly.
Green biotechnology, which provides assistance to farms and agricultural businesses, is a specific aspect of this scientific field. Biotechnology used on the farm includes the creation of plants that can endure a variety of meteorological conditions and the use of treatment options on products to be sold for public consumption. Agricultural jobs are at a premium in the United Kingdom but biotech professionals with a background in agriculture are usually assured of long term career success. Leading stores and other food providers rely on green biotechnology for the consistency of many of their food products.
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Stephen Trigg -
About the Author:
Stephen Trigg is the CEO of Quanta Consultancy Services, specialists in IT Jobs and Pharmaceutical Jobs, having provided Contract and Permanent Recruitment for many years.
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it jobs, contract and permanent recruitment, pharmaceutical jobs, human capital management consultancy, banking jobs, biotechnology jobs
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The Tsitsiringos Story, Part 5 “Interview on Future Innovations”
SF: Thanks for taking the time for this interview.
Dr. VKT: Not at all, it is a pleasure.
SF: Dr. Tsitsiringos, can you describe for us what processes you have been involved in, and brought to fruition?
Dr. VKT: Certainly. my group has worked on new methods of toxic waste disposal, wind and solar energy, and we are currently involved in a few very exciting new processes concerning energy, sanitation, and heating.
SF: What exactly was involved in toxic waste disposal?
Dr.VKT: Our group was able to mix toxic wastes in a plastic and cement matrix, and bind the chemicals in a permanent way. This was used instead of burning or burying the wastes. The new cement blocks were then broken up into rocks and used as under layer foundation for making highways. It was highly effective. We sold our knowhow and process onwards.
SF: Can you describe for us what you are working on now?
Dr. VKT: We are working on a novel way to generate electricity. When perfected, the implications will be enormous. Sorry I cannot elaborate more on that. We are also working on a system to sanitize hospital wastes using ozone, which is 100% environmentally safe; a very exciting process. Finally we have a process that creates hot water (and thus hot air) without the conventional heating element or the burning of any fuel. All these processes are forward looking, 21st century innovations.
SF: So what is involved in the steps to bringing these processes to market?
Dr. VKT: Interesting question. There are many steps. The first is securing relations with the inventors, or patent holders. This can take quite a long time to get right. That done, there is often a need for investment, and that requires investment banking expertise. When ready, licensees or collaborative partners must be recruited, and brought into the process. Sometimes governments become involved, or local partners are eligible for some form of government subsidy. It is truly an involved procedure.
SF: What can you tell us about the world energy segment in the future (how you see it)
Dr. VKT: We have been looking at the gradual shift away from fossil based fuels. In this respect, we are currently negotiating with a company that has a quite novel and ready system to produce fuels from algae. All the large major fuel companies are working on such processes as well, but the people we know have a system up and running. This system uses no distillation process, but only nanotechnology filtration. I see the the energy field going this way, and of course, alternative systems such as wind, solar and generators (such as we have) using no fuel at all.
SF: Finally Dr. Tsitsiringos, can you tell us if you are optimistic or pessimistic on getting novel processes and inventions out to the world marketplace?
Dr. VKT: I am very optimistic. There is a quiet revolution underway in technology. We see robotics, nanotechnology and genetic engineering re-shaping our lives daily. The cell phone’s evolution is a good example. In the next few years to come, you will see daily, the introduction of processes that will affect (positively) every aspect of our daily lives.
Posted in Nanotechnology Tags: Future, Innovations, Interview, part, Story, Tsitsiringos Comments OffDFJ NanoCar: The Future
The thought of a Nano car blows my mind, why? You need to know what a NanoCar is. A NanoCar is one billionth the size of a regular car and it is considered to function as a normal automobile.
How the NanoCar works. The NanoCar uses solar cells to run on which are mounted to the vehicle itself. The energy from the solar cells is transported to the NanoCar electrostatic motor or nano-batteries while running. The weight of the electrostatic motor is less than 5 nanograms. Speed of the NanoCar and its direction are controlled by an on board neutral net. The electrostatic motor also controls gear changing in the car. A chain is connected from the drive wheel’s gear of the electrostatic motor to the sprockets. The NanoCar uses a nanochain for high strength, efficiency and longevity.
How the NanoCar was designed. The NanoCar has been constructed using lightweight carbon nanotubes. NanoCars contain regenerative disc brakes as well as rack and pinion steering which are attached using tie rods to the steering arm. The wheels of NanoCars are similar to that of bicycle tires. The wheels’ spokes are made with nanotubes while the hub and rims are made with buckeydisks. These are covered using adipose stem cells so that the aerodynamic efficiency is increased greatly. The NanoCar body mold is fabricated using the Arryx BioRyx 200. The main chassis, optical telemetry and solar array of the NanoCar are made using a revolutionary technique process of BinOptics Corporation. Additional structures and framework have been made by Nantero Corporation using nanotube arrays with ultra long carbon. The windshield is a state of the art fixture and the heads-up display is made by FlexICs,Inc using a semiconductor with ultra low temperature.
What does this all mean? The “future” we all read about when we were children just got a little closer….