home

Welcome

FaithFusion offers blogs and columns on many topics: storytelling, society and culture, philosophy, religion, politics, science, and especially “deep doctrine magic” about all seven.
 

Features
 



Tags
 

Archives
 



 

Search
 



Updates



Follow me on Twitter
 



Recently read:
Nonfiction
 


Recently read:
Fiction
 



Bush's 'molecular' thought processes, continued

Avatar by Dr Ransom at 05:00 PM ET , Thursday, Feb 02, 2006

Permalink
Categories: Science: Nanotech



Following up on the dominant science-and-math themes of Tuesday's State of the Union address, the president continues stressing the nation's need for technological preeminence, especially in terms of minuscule machines that could prove to be enormous in the near future. From his speech today at 3M headquarters in Maplewood, Minnesota:

Touring here and seeing the great benefits of nanotechnology, I'm beginning to get a better sense of how nanotechnology plays into fuel cells, for example, and the capacity for us to have hydrogen automobiles. I know that technology will end up leading away from dependence on oil. I know it's going to happen. I'll tell you why I'm optimistic about it, is because the scientists there in Washington, those in the Energy Department, believe we're darn close to a couple very important breakthroughs.

[. . .]

The iPod — I'm a bike guy and I like to plug in music on my iPod when I'm riding along to hopefully help me forget how old I am. (Laughter.) But it was built — when it was launched, it was built on years of government-funded research and microdrive storage, or electrochemistry, or single compression — signal compression. See, the nanotechnology research that the government is helping sponsor is going to change the way people live.

It seems this isn't the same thing as Drexler-style nanomachines — the kind that may eventually change all of computing scales and methods forever, or build newer and lighter space suits and crafts, or generate self-healing plastics and other materials.

“Nanotechnology” in this instance could refer to materials and controlled processes that are just really, really small. Perhaps not the very spectacular possibilities, at least not yet.



Bush thinks small in State of the Union?

Avatar by Dr Ransom at 12:38 PM ET , Wednesday, Feb 01, 2006

Permalink
Categories: Science: Space Travel, Nanotech



I believe this is the first time this term has been used in any president’s annual address (from the White House):

I propose to double the federal commitment to the most critical basic research programs in the physical sciences over the next 10 years. This funding will support the work of America's most creative minds as they explore promising areas such as nanotechnology, supercomputing, and alternative energy sources. [emphasis added]


And he went on. More technology took precedence in last night’s State of the Union speech than I can remember in Bush’s previous deliverances. Alternative energy research, math and science foci in education, development initiatives, and nanotechnology.

Color-changing wallpaper, unbreakable glass, smarter fabrics and dirt-resistant carpet — that’s what just nanotech research could give us. Unseen changes made to the components of molecules themselves, enabling them to function differently and together, copy themselves and do things that not even microscopic computer chips can do. ...

Bush didn’t mention further upgrades to NASA, though, which would have related closely to math and science — give the next generation something specific to aim for.

One wonders how much improved the struggling space administration could be were the USA not attacked on Sept. 11. But, first things first.