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Nano-Mechanical Babbage Engines

Nano-Mechanical Babbage Difference Engines

That Mr Babbage was a remarkable man, and while the Difference Engine was not completed in his lifetime, he (and his creations) still inspire the most cutting edge of technology today. The BBC has an article on how a team lead by Professor Blick, of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, propose to use diamond or piezoelectric parts to create mechanical computers on the nanometer scale – thus avoiding the ever encroaching limit of silicon based miniturisation. It will run cooler and will require less power, it will be more robust in areas of high temperature, as well as being able to pack far more of these little components in the same space. Bodes well, and I wish them fortune! Thank you, Messers Chuck and Metis!

This entry was posted on Monday, July 30th, 2007 at 9:48 pm by Tinkergirl and is filed under Steampunk Images.

nanoalchemist

What an amazing concept. Someone should write a book about diamond based mechanical nano-computers. I bet it would inspire a whole new age of civilization.

But, good on them I say. First group I've heard about trying to actualize this idea. Most of the mad-scientist-make-molecules-do-math-for-us-Bwaa-haa-haa types are going the traditionalist frankenstien route, and using biological molecules, mostly DNA.

Mr Svensson

Then we are of the same opinion, ma'am.

Tinkergirl

I'd imagine that it normally means that the user expects violent action to be taken against them - possibly even nuclear in form. It means that the military will be driving the thinking behind this - which is great for getting it done quickly and with money behind it, but it does mean that more peaceful applications will come secondary, I believe.

Mr Svensson

Pardon me, but what is sad about being immune to EMP?

Gadzooks

Sadly, one of the things that caused a lot of interest in this project, is that the resultant devices, while slow by today's standards, would be completely immune to EM pulses.

Mr Svensson

If they don't name it after Mr Babbage or Lady Lovelace, I'll be a sad steampunker.

Mindbleach

Pity. From the title and picture, I was hoping to see that someone built a tiny, tiny Engine in the spirit of ships in bottles and the internet-famous, scale-model Ferrari. A Curta would be more practical, but I love the thought of a real pocket Engine.