Programmable Matter

Questions

Programmable Matter (PM): What is it, and what does that have to do with nanotechnology?

What are some real examples? What are some proposed examples? Why should I care?

Definition

Programmable Matter: A smart material which has some physical properties adjustable in a programmable fashion; material with inherent memory or processing.

What it isn't

water changing states in response to temperature

isn't programmable. movie screen

appears to have adjustable optical properties based on optical inputs, but it's just reflecting.

quartz really does have electrically adjustable shape,

but no memory or processing.

Is this Nanotech?

First define nanotech "made of molecules" isn't enough to qualify!

Weak definition: nanoscale features. (<100nm) chemistry, surface physics, thin films, ultrafine

powders, advanced microscopy Original definition: "we can arrange the atoms

the way we want; the very atoms, all the way down!"

Feynman

Hall's Stages of Nanotech

I merely nanoscale features and microscopy.

II bottom-up self assembly. (in labs today)

III nanoscale assemblers using expensive precursor molecules. (like ribosomes/amino acids)

IV assemblers make the precursor molecules from common molecules. (much cheaper)

V general capability; the very atoms, all the way down!

Shape Memory Materials

Shapes are programmable; Has inherent memory.

examples Nitinol Polymers

thermal optical electric

Nanotechnology

Programmable Materials

engine

Electronic Visual Displays

Active (emitters) cathodoluminescence

CRT, FED, VFD, SED

electroluminescence EL, LED, OLED,

GDD photoluminescence

PDP

Passive (modulators) LCD E-ink

Electrophoresis Electrowetting

Electrochromism Mechanical

modulation DMD, IMOD

Artificial Atoms

bypass the island of stability new branch of chemistry

2d periodic table for flat atoms

ideal example clearly programmable matter clearly nanotech in labs today!

Stable natural elements are Stable natural elements are limited to 92 electron limited to 92 electron states.states.Artificial atoms can have Artificial atoms can have hundreds, even thousands,hundreds, even thousands,making today's periodicmaking today's periodictable look puny.table look puny.

--Wil McCarthy,--Wil McCarthy,Ultimate AlchemyUltimate Alchemy

Clarke's Laws

When a distinguished but elderly scientist states that something is possible, he is almost certainly right; when he states that something is impossible, he is probably wrong.

The only way of discovering the limits of the possible is to venture a little way past them into the impossible.

Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.

The Drexler/Smalley Debate

Are assemblers possible?

Fat and sticky fingers strawman

Not in a million years! parallelism

Self-replication broadcast

Smalley’s dilemma no water required

Miss the target diamondoid

You're scaring our children!

And you're lying to them!

mechanosynthesis

debate

Phased-array Optics (PAO)

Phased array radar exists today. so no doubt this works in principle.

PAO is scaled down for visible wavelengths. Applications

Realistic animated holograms Ultra-high bandwidth communications Super-accurate laser weapons

fusion power

Quantum Wellstone Fiber

A proposed application of artificial atoms. stud nanofibers with these wells, so the

artificial atoms can better interact. fibers have high surface area ratio.

stage II nanotech, minimum. colloidal dots could self-attach full dimension tuning (size, shape, number)

takes addressable elements, probably stage III. Bonds are weak, so mechanical properties are

probably uninteresting optical, magnetic, and electrical properties are

another story.

Claytronics

Solid-state "catoms" prototypes are in labs today, but are either

bulky or only 2-dimentional. high resolution (small) catoms will be nanotech.

crude 3-D claytronics are expected within the decade, but will improve quickly due to miniaturization trends (Moore's Law).

3D catom simulation

Discovery feature

Utility Fog

Similar function to claytronics, but far more powerful

Foglets have are more complex than catoms stage IV. Maybe 20 years away.

Blurs the line separating virtual reality from reality.

a fog-avatar isn't a real person but a fog-chair really is a chair...

"You [Drexler]"You [Drexler] and people aroundand people around you have scaredyou have scared our children."our children."

--Richard E.--Richard E. SmalleySmalley

"You [Drexler]"You [Drexler] and people aroundand people around you have scaredyou have scared our children."our children."

--Richard E.--Richard E. SmalleySmalley

Applications and Implications

nanoforge: the ultimate PM if assemblers are possible, they are inevitable.

you're scaring our children! stage IV+ nanotech is more dangerous than

nuclear weapons. ninja fleas, case in point. Gray goo is not even

required.

and you're lying to them! allegory of the B-29

"The resulting abilities "The resulting abilities will be so powerful that,will be so powerful that, in a competitive world,in a competitive world, failure to develop molecularfailure to develop molecular manufacturing would bemanufacturing would be equivalent to unilateralequivalent to unilateral disarmament."disarmament."

--K. Eric Drexler--K. Eric Drexler

"The resulting abilities "The resulting abilities will be so powerful that,will be so powerful that, in a competitive world,in a competitive world, failure to develop molecularfailure to develop molecular manufacturing would bemanufacturing would be equivalent to unilateralequivalent to unilateral disarmament."disarmament."

--K. Eric Drexler--K. Eric Drexler