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Equal and Opposite Reaction

March 31, 2015 future, Writing Comments Off on Equal and Opposite Reaction

http://www.cnn.com/2014/12/11/tech/innovation/navy-laser-weapon/index.html

A few months ago, over on G+, Daniel Suarez had posted a link regarding the rise of the drone delivery service and the ever growing presence that remotely controlled drones are beginning to have, both the civilian and military kind.

It makes perfect sense that the Navy would already have a “drone killer” of their own in development, and apparently this one is stable enough to be properly deployed for duty (as opposed to still being concept video).

As a laser-based defense (one where the laser is your primary weapon, rather than being used for disorientation or object tracking) this is probably the most sensible use.  Where drones are concerned, you don’t have to worry about casualties (unless you shoot the drone down into a schoolyard) and your range is going to be limited by a combination of power and atmospheric interference, rather than physics.

Minutae ASSEMBLE!

March 29, 2015 future, Writing Comments Off on Minutae ASSEMBLE!

http://www.nanowerk.com/nanotechnology-news/newsid=39572.php

There are a lot of different lenses you can use to look at nanotechnology.  I personally prefer to use the tightest possible one, to look at machines that are built on a molecular scale (rather than just run of the mill itty bitty machines).

When you get that small, everything becomes chemistry and physics.  The standard model of how to assemble objects, or how to get parts to interact with one another, must be set aside because you are no longer dealing with things can be assembled with a hot-glue-gun and rivets, but things that have to WANT to come together.  You are attaching pieces to other pieces through chemical bonds, rather than just physical attachments.

So I am always delighted when I run across something new in this space.  The article referenced above is looking at ways to assemble nano-molecular machines not by chemistry alone, but rather by the physical shapes and attributes of the proteins that make up different parts.  It’s almost like a very fancy 3d puzzle.

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