Nanotech - io9

posts about #nanotech more →
Three New Medical Technologies That Could Save Your Life
Nanotech Could Make Nuclear Weapons Much, Much Tinier
Woody Allen's Dream Of Giant Vegetables Comes True — Thanks To Nanotech?
Nanotech And Lasers Team Up To Cure Cancer
Two Physics Breakthroughs That Will One Day Lead to Superarmor
"Camera Fabric" Cloth That Takes Color Pictures
Will G.I. Joe Be The Worst Movie Of The Year?
Awesome New Showtune Explains Nanotechnology... With Puppets
New Tiny Robots Can Crawl Through Your Veins
There's A Hole In The Microverse!

Your version of Internet Explorer is not supported. Please upgrade to the most recent version in order to view comments.

Dsmvwl Admin Promote to frontpage Approve user Ban user ×

SJ_Edwards
11/05/09

In reply to Three New Medical Technologies That Could Save Your Life
The 'nanoboxes' are just screaming to be weaponised.
Inert nanoparticles that can be dispersed throughout the environment, with no ill effect.
But paint the selected 'target' with a laser, and they release precisely what you want, only where you want it.
Instant unconciousness, blindness, psychosis, suggestibility, death etc. etc. to whoever you want, whenever you want.

Nice. #nanotech
Reply

SJ_Edwards was starred SJ_Edwards was unstarred

ltwass
11/06/09

@SJ_Edwards: I like the way you think, son. #nanotech
Reply

SJ_Edwards promoted this comment ltwass was starred ltwass was unstarred

drukus
11/06/09

@SJ_Edwards: Way to go NSA. #nanotech
Reply

drukus was starred drukus was unstarred

gorehound
11/05/09

In reply to Three New Medical Technologies That Could Save Your Life
I wabnt my immortality treatment or at least extend my old life #nanotech
Reply

gorehound was starred gorehound was unstarred

Anekanta - Go Play!
11/05/09

In reply to Three New Medical Technologies That Could Save Your Life
Cool! But I'm still holding out for my wired reflexes... #nanotech
Reply

FrankenPC
11/05/09

In reply to Three New Medical Technologies That Could Save Your Life
{bleep bleep bleep}
Almost there.....

[www.youtube.com] #nanotech
Reply

FrankenPC was starred FrankenPC was unstarred

GreyHammer
10/10/09

In reply to Nanotech Could Make Nuclear Weapons Much, Much Tinier
WMDs are used solely as deterrants now a days the real killing comes from conventional weapons. besides, when terrorists can't even cobble together tech we've had since the 40s then i'm not worried about them using nano-weapons. shit the people who made our nuclear program were only a few decades away from riding fucking horses to work.
Reply

GreyHammer was starred GreyHammer was unstarred

Evil Tortie's Mom: R.O.A.C.H.
10/09/09

In reply to Nanotech Could Make Nuclear Weapons Much, Much Tinier
I almost skipped the comments on this one b/c I thought "eh".

Glad I clicked (with my grizzled keyboard).
Reply

Roklimber
10/09/09

In reply to Nanotech Could Make Nuclear Weapons Much, Much Tinier
Quoting Scotty, "and if my grandmother had wheels, she would be a wagon."

Sure, in theory, nanotech nuclear devices powered by lasers are possible. And they will likely be made in practice as well, but not any time soon and not without a lot more research. We are not there yet, not by a long shot.

I hate when people blow things out of proportion.
Reply

Roklimber was starred Roklimber was unstarred

Ghede
10/09/09

In reply to Nanotech Could Make Nuclear Weapons Much, Much Tinier
Scared? No. They just replaced the infamous planet-cracker with a safer variant.
Reply

Ghede was starred Ghede was unstarred

mordicai
10/09/09

In reply to Nanotech Could Make Nuclear Weapons Much, Much Tinier
NANOTECH: COULD IT MAKE JESUS SMALLER? STAY TUNED AT 11.

um, duh, nanotech can make tech smaller. Kinda QED.
Reply

Grey_Area promoted this comment mordicai was starred mordicai was unstarred

AngryEddy
10/09/09

@mordicai: But could we weaponize this so-called "Tiny Jesus"? Let's get the boys in R&D on this, ASAP.
Reply

AngryEddy was starred AngryEddy was unstarred

The Curse of Millhaven
10/09/09

@AngryEddy: Misinterpretation of Tiny Jesus could lead to a teensy crusade against the Minimoors.
Reply

AngryEddy
10/09/09

@The Curse of Millhaven: Sadly, I spent the last of the internets I had on a Kit-Kat bar from the vending machine, so IOU +1.
Reply

AngryEddy was starred AngryEddy was unstarred

omgwtflolbbqbye
10/09/09

@mordicai: It could bring new meaning to having Jesus inside of you.
Reply

omgwtflolbbqbye was starred omgwtflolbbqbye was unstarred

The Curse of Millhaven
10/09/09

@AngryEddy: A cookie covered in chocolate? Totally understandable.
Reply

Demosthenes7898
10/09/09

In reply to Nanotech Could Make Nuclear Weapons Much, Much Tinier
With almost every advancement in technology comes an extremely ingenious way of abusing the fuck out of it.
Reply

Demosthenes7898 was starred Demosthenes7898 was unstarred

TemporalSword
10/09/09

@Demosthenes7898: Welcome to the human race.
Reply

TemporalSword was starred TemporalSword was unstarred

ManchuCandidate
10/09/09

@Demosthenes7898:
This is why we humans can't have nice things.
Reply

ManchuCandidate was starred ManchuCandidate was unstarred

cljohnston108
10/09/09

In reply to Nanotech Could Make Nuclear Weapons Much, Much Tinier
I once heard a rumor that they were working on a nuclear bomb the size of a grain of sand.

I haven't been to the beach in quite some time.
Reply

crashedpc - unrein promoted this comment cljohnston108 was starred cljohnston108 was unstarred

crashedpc - Haifisch
10/09/09

@cljohnston108: Like walking in a nuclear minefield.
Reply

ManchuCandidate
10/09/09

In reply to Nanotech Could Make Nuclear Weapons Much, Much Tinier
Note to Janes:
Maybe you should investigate how the concept of critical MASS and nukular weaponry go together before freaking out about something the Great Gazoo invented.
Reply

ManchuCandidate was starred ManchuCandidate was unstarred

crashedpc - Haifisch
10/09/09

@ManchuCandidate: Nah, we can create energy out of nothing. We can violate the fundamental laws of physical whenever.

I'm sure it's more complicated than that, but I'm going for snark, here.
Reply

ManchuCandidate
10/09/09

@crashedpc - unrein:
Only the Great Gazoo can, not us dum-dums.
Reply

ManchuCandidate was starred ManchuCandidate was unstarred

crashedpc - Haifisch
10/09/09

@ManchuCandidate: Gazoo... or COOLIO?
Reply

Demosthenes7898
10/09/09

@ManchuCandidate: This little exchange made my day, thank you both.
Reply

Demosthenes7898 was starred Demosthenes7898 was unstarred

AngryEddy
10/09/09

In reply to Nanotech Could Make Nuclear Weapons Much, Much Tinier
...
On a positive note, if these weapons are the future tools of terrorism, the enemies should be a whole lot easier to spot. After all, they'll have to move their bases from the caves and mystrious warehouses they use now to volcanoes and glaciers and large undersea fortresses that sort of resemble Darth Vader's head. And that seriously cuts down on the locations we need to send our spies and elite military forces to scout.
Reply

AngryEddy was starred AngryEddy was unstarred

crashedpc - Haifisch
10/09/09

@AngryEddy: Slap on a "COUNTY FAIR" sign and no one will pay any attention to it.
Reply

ManchuCandidate
10/09/09

@AngryEddy:
Darth Stewie Gilliigan Griffin?
Reply

ManchuCandidate was starred ManchuCandidate was unstarred

The Curse of Millhaven
10/09/09

In reply to Nanotech Could Make Nuclear Weapons Much, Much Tinier
Jane's 42620 b.c.e. also reported that fire could be used to burn the fingers of an entire enemy tribe, making them unable to wield spears.
Reply

crashedpc - Haifisch
10/09/09

@The Curse of Millhaven: Don't forget Archimedes and his happy fun time ship burning mirrors!
Reply

AngryEddy
10/09/09

@crashedpc - unrein: Pssst... Can I interest you fine fellows in a slightly used De Vinci scythe chariot?
Reply

Edited by AngryEddy at 10/09/09 10:32 AM AngryEddy was starred AngryEddy was unstarred

AngryEddy
10/09/09

...
@crashedpc - unrein: This would be that chariot.
Reply

AngryEddy was starred AngryEddy was unstarred

crashedpc - Haifisch
10/09/09

@AngryEddy: Oh man, oh man, I've been looking for one of these!!!

Wait, DE Vinci? Is this a Chinese knockoff brand?
Reply

Edited by crashedpc - Haifisch at 10/09/09 10:34 AM

AngryEddy
10/09/09

@crashedpc - unrein: No, man - this is the real deal. It's...it's just a misprinted label, that's how I can get them on the cheap. "Tough economic times" and what not... Cash only, by the way.
Reply

AngryEddy was starred AngryEddy was unstarred

crashedpc - Haifisch
10/09/09

@AngryEddy: Sure. I have a suitcase full of cash. Never mind that it's an OOACH brand suitcase. Don't bother rifling through the stacks of cash; they're all real bills. 100% real. The new 50 has blue and yellow ink, you know.
Reply

AngryEddy
10/09/09

...
@crashedpc - unrein: Hmmm. Seems legit to me. Deal!
Reply

AngryEddy was starred AngryEddy was unstarred

crashedpc - Haifisch
10/09/09

@AngryEddy: Any more of any of these conversations and my mind is going to explode. I'd hand you the intertubes but the Pope down there has it locked down for today.
Reply

Edited by crashedpc - Haifisch at 10/09/09 10:55 AM

AngryEddy
10/09/09

@crashedpc - unrein: Agreed.
Reply

AngryEddy was starred AngryEddy was unstarred

ManchuCandidate
10/09/09

@AngryEddy:
We're gonna Spend and Buy all night and Save into the day!
Reply

ManchuCandidate was starred ManchuCandidate was unstarred

I Think We're Property
10/09/09

In reply to Nanotech Could Make Nuclear Weapons Much, Much Tinier
Yeah, the conceptual micro-nukes they're talking about are fusion based. You've heard of the whole "triggering fusion by bombarding a fuel pellet with lasers" thing? Well, this would basically be a tiny laser and fuel pellet designed for one-time use. It would finally make good on the concept of a 'tactical nuke'. Imagine something like eventually getting to a shoulder-launched, 100mm warhead (think like a Stinger missile from the movies, or maybe even one of those LAW infantry rocket launchers) with an explosive power equal to about 200 pounds of TNT. Good for quickly leveling a building, popping a reinforced bunker, or decapitating a tank column, all in a convenient man-portable size. Heck, you might even be able to put multiple detonators in parallel within the device, allowing you to dial-a-yield, from 200 tons to a full kiloton. This idea has been getting kicked around for a while, and its kind of crazy buy also kind of cool (as much as any weapon that's ultimately for killing people can be, I suppose).

And yeah, you think that infantry is important now, what with all that urban warfare? Just wait until your tank battalion can be taken out by some punk hiding in the brush a hundred or two hundred yards away underneath an active camo tarp with a fusion bazooka.
Reply

crashedpc - unrein promoted this comment Edited by I Think We're Property at 10/09/09 9:53 AM

kagekiri
10/09/09

@I Think We're Property: I see your point, but to some degree I don't know if that's where we're headed. If you can use a fusion weapon, you've got billions of dollars to spend, and if you have that and the willingness to level a city block to take out some tanks, why not just use conventional weaponry launched in a cruise missile or dropped from a bomber? What "punk" is going to have access to this kind of weapon?
Reply

kagekiri was starred kagekiri was unstarred

crashedpc - Haifisch
10/09/09

@kagekiri: The same kind of punks who can gain access to AKs and RPGs in a war torn country... via the black market.
Reply

AngryEddy
10/09/09

@crashedpc - unrein: Ah yes, the black market. Terrorism's eBay.
Reply

AngryEddy was starred AngryEddy was unstarred

I Think We're Property
10/09/09

@kagekiri: Well, by "punk", I was just talking from the perspective of a bitter tank commander. I just meant one or a small group of infantry boys.

And yes, you're right in that things like air superiority are already making conventional units (i.e, a column of tanks driving across open terrain) obsolete. But its also true that there are some times when heavy fire support (artillery, air strikes, offshore cruise missiles) are either not yet available (say, because you're Marine Recon and air superiority hasn't been established yet) or would simply take too long to get fire on target. That's why they made LAW rockets for infantry- to give them at least a fighting chance (if not a good one) against enemy armor while proper anti-armor forces can be applied, you know?

Also, while a 200 lbs TNT equivalent fusion device would likely kill a tank (especially if it made direct contact before detonating- the flash from the point source explosion would probably melt a hole in the armor), it probably wouldn't level a city block. Probably take out the buildings on either side of the street, though.
Reply

Earlier threads | All threads | Show hidden threads | Show featured threads only | Start a new discussion

SUBSCRIBE TO io9

Login

Reset Password

Register

Submit Your Comment