one hell of a car (673 hits)
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Submitted by Adam Poirier (View user info) at 2004-06-14 02:13:22 EDT
You've all seen the TV ads for new clothing with "stain defender" right? Ever wonder how it works? It's simple: Nanotechnology. Let me explain, as it's crucial to the rest of this post (and the rest of our future).
If you didn't pay much attention in science, nano- means small. Very small. In fact one nanometer is really 1 billionth of a meter. That's a 1/1,000,000,000 if you write it out. For you chemists out there, that's exactly the width of 5 carbon atoms.
Ok, so what we're really talking about are things called "nanotubes". Basically they're tube like carbon molecules. So small, however that it would take about 50,000 of them side by side to match the thickness of one human hair. What's so special about these you might ask? Well for starters, not only are they thousands of times stronger than steel, but if kept straight they conduct electricity better than any conductor currently in industrial use. Twist it a bit and you've just made a transistor. Likewise, a nanotube can be made into any electronic device you can imagine.
Compared to silicon, nanotubes are only 1 atom thick, yet hundreds of times more durable than a silicon chip. They can handle heat better too, so making 3D components is no problem at all. Essentially then, nanotechnology is nothing more than using nanotubes to create "computers".
What's better, the possibility exists for these little "machines" to be programmed to manipulate their environment. This means we can make "tiny machines" that create other "tiny machines". Better yet, and essential to the rest of this article, we can build "tiny machines" cable of using materials in their environment to build replicas of themselves. Since it takes millions and billions of research dollars to build one "nanobot", this is a very important discovery. We just need to build one, and have it build the rest. Talk about cost-effective!
I was reading on Fark.com about how the US army is developing tanks that can repair their own paint jobs.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/2386731.stm
But why stop there?
Why not build an entire car out of nanotubes? It'll be a lot stronger than any material they currently use making it much safer and greatly increasing crash test ratings.
Plus, a car made entirely out of nanotubes would only weigh about 50lbs.
You'd never have to worry about your paint getting scratched, it'd have the power to repair itself immediately. You'd never need new tires either as they could just use carbon atoms from the ground to replace their tread.
Got a dent? No problem, your car will be able to repair itself instantly. Don't like color of the interior or the paint? No problem, it can change, without any outside effort. Driving your convertible with the top down and it starts raining? No problem, your car will simply just "grow" a top to cover you.
As for the car's internal computer, we mentioned before how they can be made into machines and programmed, so there's no need for a separate computer. Your car's brains would be spread out evenly throughout it's body.
As for fuel? Forget it. The entire surface of your car (being made of nanotubes) would be one large solar panel.
What's even better? It won't cost you nearly as much either. Since your car will basically "build itself" it can be built right there in the dealership while you wait, to your specifications. If you're not happy with the result, it can change, right in front of you.
Granted, we're still a couple decades away, but won't the future be cool?
User Reviews
Submitted by Feijuada (user info) at 2005-04-10 18:02:59 EDT (#)
Ranking: -2
No Comment
Submitted by fluff (user info) at 2005-04-06 17:44:19 EDT (#)
Ranking: -2
No Comment
Submitted by FetishII (user info) at 2004-08-08 07:16:17 EDT (#)
Ranking: -2
Hi, my name is CanucksFan. I like to spam old posts.
Submitted by I_Have_a_Kristen_Fetish (user info) at 2004-08-08 06:59:59 EDT (#)
Ranking: -2
Having fun going through my old posts, spamboy?
Submitted by CanucksFan (user info) at 2004-06-29 20:00:16 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Yeah it was interesting to read..I'll try that book you suggested.
Submitted by Loren1 (user info) at 2004-06-14 13:12:39 EDT (#)
Ranking: 1
"Plus, a car made entirely out of nanotubes would only weigh about 50lbs"
When I read that I could envision driving over a bridge and having a big gust of wind come along...
Submitted by gamma (user info) at 2004-06-14 12:57:18 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Really good article. If you're interested with this kind of stuff, you should check out the book "Prey" by Michael Crichton. Good book about nanotechnology.
Submitted by Magicaddict (user info) at 2004-06-14 08:57:14 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
+2 for being the most interesting concept I have read today.
Submitted by Armadilo (user info) at 2004-06-14 08:29:55 EDT (#)
Ranking: 1
Definition of a nano-second, the time it takes the pakki driving the taxi behind you to hit the horn, when the lights turn to green
Submitted by dohnuts (user info) at 2004-06-14 08:04:35 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
My best friend's older brother is one of the pioneers of nanotechnology. I've met him a few times. He kind of gives me the creeps. He's got some kind of evil genius thing going on. Do a google search on K. Eric Drexler if you're interested.
Submitted by Fabish (user info) at 2004-06-14 04:14:40 EDT (#)
Ranking: 1
What's the problem with that, Matt. Why drive when you can fly, baby.
Submitted by maiorano84 (user info) at 2004-06-14 03:36:41 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
"Driving your convertible with the top down and it starts raining? No problem, your car will simply just "grow" a top to cover you."
I see a problem here: if your car has the capability of growing parts, what if you want a part (like the top) to be removed? Where would the materials go? And with all this constant 'growing', wouldn't your car eventually turn into one big chunky nano-mothership?
+2 for an interesting article.
Submitted by gbusman (user info) at 2004-06-14 03:07:45 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
You should subscribe to Wired.
-Bus
Submitted by bart (user info) at 2004-06-14 02:51:06 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
The future rules.
Submitted by dakingisdead (user info) at 2004-06-14 02:38:13 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Hell that is gonna be super cool. Shame I will probably be pushing up daisies before it actually becomes a commercial reality though.
Submitted by Val (user info) at 2004-06-14 02:35:44 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
shit...
between mutant corn nuts and nanotubes... i just don't know what to think.
mmmm, corn nuts.
Submitted by CanucksFan (user info) at 2004-06-14 02:28:56 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Most likely because of the insta-camoflauge that it provides..literally becoming a rock or tree. Also, the coating can reduce the shock from attacks. It's not about looking good.
Submitted by Fabish (user info) at 2004-06-14 02:20:25 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
"Smart coatings technology will make our armed forces more high tech and more effective."
How the fuck can repairing a paint job make our armed forces more effective. I could shit something more effective than that. Idiots.