World Class Nanotechnology Research Center Opens 51
Eh-Wire writes "The University of Alberta and Edmonton are mighty proud to be home to the new National Institute of Nanotechnology. The $52.2-million(Canadian) facility is designed to provide the optimal conditions for nano-scale research and to foster collaboration between researchers. Apparently it is Canada's quietest space and engineered that way to minimize vibration and acoustical noise. Even the electrical wiring has been twisted to reduce electro-magnetic interference. Curiously enough the head project architect, Donna Clare of architectural firm, Cohos Evamy was also the head project architect for Edmonton's highly acclaimed Winspear Centre, a concert hall designed specifically to enhance acoustics. There's likely going to be some big things coming from this state-of-the-art research facility for the really really small."
Sounds like it was designed by (Score:2, Funny)
Please! (Score:5, Funny)
Nor (Score:1)
Huh? (Score:5, Insightful)
What's curious about that? If you want a quiet building, I'd think you'd want to hire a guy who's an expert in sound and architecture.
-Grey [wellingtongrey.net]
Nit, I pick YOU! (Score:2, Funny)
Seems they got off on entirely the wrong foot with head project architect Donna Clare, then.
Whoops (Score:2)
-Grey [wellingtongrey.net]
Re:Whoops (Score:1)
While we're picking nits, do you ever get tired of pasting that link to your web site to the bottom of every single comment? That's what sigs [slashdot.org] are for, you know?
HuH? (Score:3)
There's likely going to be some big things coming
Has this already happened? (Score:1)
Re:Has this already happened? (Score:2)
I think we should focus on building a nanotech device that will build nanotech devices that build nanotech devices. My worry is that this has already happened. How would I know?
Far from being a joke, disassemblers would be the absolute worst possible plague imagineable.
They could get into the wild on a single piece of paper.
You might notice it as a ing
Re:Has this already happened? (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Has this already happened? (Score:2)
So say that each disassembler replicated once a week
10 weeks - 1,024 disassemblers
20 weeks - 1,048,576 disassemblers
30 weeks - 1,073,741,824 disassemblers
34 weeks = the same number of dissassemblers as the cells makin
Re:HuH? (Score:2)
Moreover, the proper term for us is dwarves.
Sorry but this is not new (Score:5, Informative)
This is done in all the high precision instruments and the facility in which they are installed. TEM [wikipedia.org]s and electron beam lithography [wikipedia.org] tools often have a separate foundation isolated from the rest of the building to minimize vibration issues.
Probably they should mention about the tight control over temperature, humidity and airflow as well.
Re:Sorry but this is not new (Score:2, Interesting)
size matters (Score:2)
Minatec (Score:5, Informative)
This makes me worry (Score:1, Interesting)
Call me a cynic but I've seen this happen too many times. If you use the right sexy words, senior administrators and politicians are willing to dump huge amounts of money in your lap. Public money should go into pure research (nano technology in my mind is mostly applied research because most of it seems aimed at applications). That's
Re:This makes me worry (Score:5, Informative)
Research without focus is mostly waste (Score:2)
Having not so long ago switched from the academic lab to the corporate lab, let me just say I am thrilled with the relative effectiveness and sensibility of R&D at the corporate
nanoscience vs. nanotechnology (Score:1)
The distinction between the fundamental and applied research at the nanoscale is basically that between nanoscience and nanotechnology. But this distinction is currently a lot fuzzier than similar boundaries in the more traditional branches of science (e.g., fundamental life sciences vs. biotechnology) simply because there has not been enough nanoscience done yet to enable most of the nanotechnology, especially in the way the latter is typically presented to the general public.
Take electronics, for example
Major investor backed out (Score:1)
Derek Zoolander: What is this? A nano-research center for ants? How can we expected the researchers to learn about nano-technology... if they can't even fit inside the building?
Canada: Derek, this is just a small...
Derek Zoolander: I don't wanna hear your excuses! The building has to be at least... three times bigger than this!
UMass has one in progress.. (Score:2, Informative)
http://www.uml.edu/Media/News%20Articles/article3
Re:UMass has one in progress.. (Score:1)
I hear the labs are really small... (Score:1)
The University of Alberta (Score:2)
Re:The University of Alberta (Score:1)
Re:The University of Alberta (Score:1)
They've also started demolishing V-Wing and Physics, and Physics will be moving to BRAND NE
Re:The University of Alberta (Score:2)
Quietest place in Canada (Score:2)
http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNe
I thought, the quietest place in Canada was Stephen Harper giving press release in Ottawa.
Re:Quietest place in Canada (Score:1)
Knowing one of our governments just pissed away another $52.2 million on something
that a private business should've built & paid for.
My bedroom won't so quiet anymore, not with another round of tossing & turning coming on.
I saw the building a few months ago... (Score:1)
Nanoscience requires low vibration environs (Score:1)
Re:Nanoscience requires low vibration environs (Score:3, Informative)
requires very low vibration so that the ultra fine tip does not drift with time
The vibrations have absolutely NOTHING to do with drift. The drift is caused by temperature gradients in the microscope. One part of the microscope thermally expands/contracts more than another part and the tip and sample will drift. The vibration issue is another matter related to image noise. The feedback used to maintain a tunneling junction has limited bandwidth and excessive vibrations will show up in images as
Re:Nanoscience requires low vibration environs (Score:1)
Oldest science (Score:2)
Georgia Tech has a center under construction (Score:2, Informative)
Its 160,000 sq ft with 30,000 sq ft of clean rooms. Of course it won't be done till the summer of 2008 and cost $80M. The biggest private contribution has been from Bernie Marcus, one of the founders of Home Depot, for $15M.
Georgia Tech Nanotechnology Research Center [gatech.edu]Nanotech @ Tech [gatech.edu]
Re:Georgia Tech has a center under construction (Score:1)
http://www.nanotech.uwaterloo.ca/research/qnc [uwaterloo.ca]
the website (Score:2)
Open for now... (Score:1)