Michael Anissimov wrote this great article on Transhumanism. If you're not familiar with the concept, it is that the technology all around us is our next evolutionary step. Today, we think of computers and technologies as things around us, but they'll soon be part of us, and then replace us, much as we replaced cave men. We're building our own grandchildren.

Mr. Anissimov makes the observation that

Politicians and laypeople everywhere are beginning to get the picture - it matters less what you say than what technology you have at your disposal. This is why presidential speeches are peppered with mentions of the importance of alternative energy and the dangers of nuclear proliferation. Good technology improves the lives of millions and bad technology has the potential to murder millions. Social ideas are merely a footnote.

Last year, chemists were able to build a car from a single-molecule. Now, chemists at Rice University have built the first motorized version of their nanocar.

The nanocar is powered by light. Its motor is a molecular framework that was developed by Ben L. Feringa and was modified so that it would attach in-line with the nanocar's chassis. When light strikes the motor, it rotates in one direction, pushing the car along like a paddlewheel.

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MIT scientists have manipulated genes within viruses, coaxing them to grow and self-assemble "nanowire" structures. These structures can then be used to make very thin lithium-ion batteries.

The batteries that could be built using this technology could be the size of a grain of rice.

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Researchers at the University of Chicago have created a diode from a single molecule. The diode is only a few tens of atoms in size and 1,000 times smaller than a conventional one. Diodes are critical components within computers and other electronic devices.

Nano-Computer Diode from one Molecule

Ames (Iowa) Laboratory researchers have developed a porous silica nanosphere that can be taken up by a cell and deliver a payload into it on command. The nanospheres are roughly the size of a virus, so they won't trigger an immune response in the body.

The spheres have thousands of parallel channels running completely through them. The spheres soak up molecules of the drug to be delivered. When the channels are filled, the ends of channels are capped to safely seal the drug inside. The caps can be made of magnetic material, so that using a strong magnet externally, the spheres can be opened inside the cells, releasing their contents.

Nanotechnologists from the University of Texas at Dallas have made artificial muscles that are 100 times stronger than natural muscles. These muscles are fuled by alcohol and hydrogen.

These muscles could enable fuel-powered artificial limbs, "smart skins" and morphing structures for air and marine vehicles, autonomous robots having very long mission capabilities and smart sensors that detect and self-actuate to change the environment.

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Paul Rothemund of Caltech can weave any two-dimensional shape or pattern using DNA molecules. This technology, which he calls "DNA origami" could one day be used to construct tiny chemical factories or molecular electronics by attaching proteins and inorganic components to DNA circuit boards.

All of Rothemund's creations are made with a single, long DNA strand. First, the strand is folded back and forth into some desired shape or pattern. The entire structure is then fastened together at strategic points with hundreds of short DNA "staples." (link from nutmeg)

Three tours starting at one meter in size zooming down to 1 femtometer (10^-15, the size of quarks). Each view is one-tenth the size of the previous. One tour goes into the human body, starting at a full-sized human, zooming in on a mosquito, zooming in on human cells, zooming down into DNA, into molecues and into their components. Another tour goes into a laptop computer, and a third goes into an LED light.

Fascinating and very well put together. Link from madscientistgirl, who also went to the effort of capturing this cool screenshot from the site.

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PBS Nova show on string theory. Interesting, and very available to us common people, but not very deep.

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