The NEXUS: Technology Timeline - "The Nanofuture at Cornell University"

"The NanoFuture at Cornell University"

A Day in the Life of a Nanoengineering Student

by Vishal Jain

Carla glances upward and begins her hike up Libe slope on a cold snowy January morning. Fortunately, the steep path on Libe slope is perfectly clear because of a coating of Nano-DryO. The coating consists of trillions of solar powered microscopic chemistry labs that break apart hydrogen and oxygen molecules thus evaporating snow, ice and water from the path.

In a few minutes, Carla, reaches her first class in Olin Hall, Molecular Structures 216. A sophomore in the engineering college, Carla has not decided what field to specialize in. However, she is required like all other engineers to study the fundamentals of Nanotechnology in courses such as Molecular Structures 216, which examines how to create machines and devices from individual molecules. Engineers of all specialties have found uses for Nanotechnology, ranging from civil engineers who embed machines in materials to electrical engineers who design nanocircuits thousands of times smaller than previous chips.

Coughing a little after her walk through the snow, Carla sprays some Cold-ReliefO into her mouth. Instantly, nanomachines coarse through her body searching for the common cold virus. Upon finding the virus, the agents break apart the virus, relieving Carla of her symptoms and essentially curing her of the cold by removing the virus from her body.

Professor Schmidt begins his lecture, "We will examine the revolutionary effects Nanotechnology has had on computer circuits. Today's circuits are constructed using elements measured in nanometers. Previously, these elements were on the scale of micrometers, a thousand times larger. When measured three-dimensionally, today's circuits are in fact billions of times smaller than older circuits. This has led to dramatic increases in the speed of processors."

As he speaks, a circular projector in the front of the lecture hall emits a floating hologram of a string of carbon molecules. The image is created using millions of lasers the size of a pinhead.

Professor Schmidt points to the hologram and says, "These are carbon molecules linked to form a straight line, or rather, if you will, a logic rod. This rod is the essential element of a molecular transistor. Image two of these rods, with one perpendicular to the other. If one of the rods were to move up or down, then the other rod would be free to move. In effect, such a configuration would be a molecular switch, a transistor."

As she listens to the lecture, Carla begins to think about her copy of Cornell's "daily" newspaper. The paper looks and feels like newspapers from years ago, but is actually "woven" from trillions of molecular parts, controlled by a nanocomputers embedded in the paper. Every hour, the newspaper's office broadcasts new instructions that are picked up by the processor. The processor then turns on and off the appropriate pixel elements to create words and images on the "paper". Carla realizes how critical molecular transistors are to such a product.

Carla and her friends hurry to get to their next class in time. Engineers are required to take Systems Dynamics because it deals with the techniques used to control individual elements for a common purpose. Nanotechnology often requires using trillions of trillions of nanomachines as a team. In Rockefeller, Carla heads to the basement where she is working on a computer lab for the class.

Her task is to design a system that will take readings in orbit around a planet using several types of nanomachines, each of which perform a different function in space. Space exploration is usually done using systems similar to the one Carla is working on because scientists can easily modify the goals of a mission while the nanomachines are in flight, and missions can succeed even if many of them fail. In addition, future missions cost less because these machines have already been designed and are cheaper to manufacture than a completely new satellite system.

First, Carla programs the nanomachines that have sensors to take readings at regular intervals and to send their data to a bank of processing nanocomputers. These computers are programmed by Carla to compress the data that they receive. Carla then tells these computers to send the compressed data to hundreds of nanotransmitters that will be responsible for sending segments of the data. Finally, she programs dozens of solar collectors to point towards the sun, collect energy and transmit it in the form of microwaves to the other nanomachines in the system.

As lunch time approaches, Carla decides to leave a little early to beat the rush at the Trillium. After reaching the serving area, Carla orders a garden-burger and grabs a drink. Food preparation has changed little in recent years because people still prefer human cooking. However, the food itself is grown and processed much differently than before. Most fruits, vegetables and grains are grown in greenhouses where the conditions can be controlled to provide the optimal conditions for the growth of a crop.

A small greenhouse can put out as much food as a multi-acre farm and can do it all year round as well. Nanomachines are critical to the operation of these greenhouses. Nanosensors sprayed on the plants and in the soil measure the conditions in the greenhouse. These sensors direct the watering and feeding of the plants. In addition, small airborne microscopic "fly-swatters" remove pests and harmful bacteria from the air. Lastly, nanomachines embedded in the glass of the greenhouses adjust the light allowed in for different crops.

In a few minutes, Carla's garden burger is done and she heads to an empty table, sitting alone so that she can finish an assignment due for her next class. While munching on her burger, Carla notices the shirt of a man a few tables away. The shirt is black, but a purple stripe is slowly growing in the center. Carla realizes the shirt is the latest craze in clothing-nanowear. It is woven not from cotton or any other fabric, but from trillions of nanomachines capable of changing color and shape. The shirt can be programmed with different patterns and some features such as the shape of the color or feel of the fabric can be changed as well.

After gazing for a few more minutes at the mesmerizing pattern growing on the shirt, Carla takes out a gray pad not much thicker than a few sheets of paper, a powerful computer networked with other computers on campus. Carla loads up her assignment for her next class, Environmental Engineering. The problem was to design a system for removing industrial pollution from the atmosphere. Using a special pen, Carla begins to sketch out her solution on the pad.

Carla decides to use swarms of special nanomachines to remove the pollution. A solar energy collector in the nanomachine will power its flight. The heart of the machine will be a miniature chemical plant that removes nitric-oxide from the atmosphere and decomposes it into nitrogen and oxygen molecules that can be released harmlessly into the atmosphere. By using billions of these machines in targeted areas, high levels of old industrial air pollution can be removed.

After checking her design, Carla sends her assignment to a computer by using the wireless "modem" built into the pad. Sipping her drink as she runs out the door, Carla heads to Hollister Hall for her class in environmental engineering.

Ms. Rogalla, the professor, begins her lecture just as Carla finds a place to sit, "The topic today is a pleasant one - Environmental Regeneration and Restoration. Most food, as you probably know, is now grown in greenhouses that occupy a fraction of land mass that farms once did. This leaves us with the happy problem of what to do with the millions of acres of land that were once farms."

As she speaks, a flat screen display in the lecture hall flashes pictures of deserted farms across America. Ms. Rogalla continues, "The general consensus has been to restore as much of this land as possible to its native state. This involves mass scale terra-forming which would be impossible without nanomachines. Trillions of these machines are being unleashed to replant much of the land with its original vegetation. Other nanomachines break apart pesticides left in the soil after years of farming."

The lecture continues as Ms. Rogalla talks about the specific machines and effective methods of using them. Carla starts thinking about her summers at home and how easy it is to remove weeds from the lawn by spraying the right nanomachine on the yard. Soon, the lecture ends with Ms. Rogalla reminding the class of an upcoming exam and Carla leaves the lecture hall.

Her day over, Carla heads over to Baker Tower. As she walks home, her jacket's Nanosensors detect that the air is warmer and direct the solar collectors built into the jacket's fabric to collect less heat. In about ten minutes, Carla reaches the Tower's archway and heads up to relax before another busy day begins.

Comments, criticisms, suggestions, and additions welcome! E-mail Dan Fournel at [email protected]

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