NanoJunkie: Recent Episodes

Ari Esters

I'm obsessed with microtechnology and nanotechnology and the impact it will have on our society. In fact, this impact is not too far away. Many companies and research groups are already developing products in the “micro-nano” space, and investors are becoming more and more interested. To understand this developing field, I will research different companies, particularly startups, that are working to impact or disrupt the industries of renewable energy, medicine, biotech, sustainability, manufacturing, space exploration, and more. 


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Elon Musk's Neuralink always gets the spotlight for innovating brain technology, but a smaller company named Synchron may be leading the way. Synchron will be the first company to test implantable brain tech in human clinical trials!

Sources:

https://www.fiercebiotech.com/medtech/synchron-raises-40m-for-u-s-trials-neurotech-helping-paralysis-patients-text-email-and

https://thehill.com/changing-america/well-being/medical-advances/565347-small-company-beats-elon-musks-neuralink-in-race?amp

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Researchers from MIT, Caltech, and ETH Zürich banded together to create a nano-architected carbon material that was able to block particles moving at supersonic speeds!

Source:

https://news.mit.edu/2021/carbon-nanomaterial-light-strong-0624

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How small can a robot be? Bionaut Labs, a Los Angeles-based startup, has developed robots at the microscopic scale to treat brain disorders.


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Health agencies in Canada have banned the sale and distribution of masks containing graphene (a carbon nanomaterial) over health concerns.

Article:

https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/canada-bans-masks-containing-graphene-101617428707042-amp.html

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I've been seeing a lot of news and talk about the semiconductor "chip shortage" that's been going on since last year. Here, I explain what the chip shortage is, what caused it, and how it will change the future of US manufacturing.

Host: Ari Esters (me)

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What’s the big deal with nanotech? Where is it used? Is it worth investing in nanotech at all?

All that and more covered in this episode!

Host: Ari Esters (me)

To learn even more, visit nanojunkie.com or follow NanoJunkie on Facebook and LinkedIn!

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I’m power-walking on a windy day, so pardon the audio quality. In this episode, I share the plan I’ve put into motion for NanoJunkie: a new website (nanojunkie.com), weekly blogs, and interviews with companies and researchers, to name a few.


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After a year and a half of silence, I'm finally continuing the NanoJunkie platform.


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05-11-2019: NanoJunkie episodes will be paused until I get a new laptop. May take a few weeks or even a couple months..


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In Episode 7 of Nanotech News, I talk about recent developments in efficient light-based circuits for use in quantum technology, spiral nanobots that improve drug delivery in the body, and flexible circuits made using 3D printing and nanotechnology.

Music: "Sunshine" by Ikson

https://soundcloud.com/ikson

Nanomechanical router leads to more efficient quantum technology:

https://www.nanotechnologyworld.org/single-post/2019/04/23/Nanocomponent-is-a-quantum-leap-for-Danish-physicists

Magnetic nanobots that improve cancer drug delivery:

https://m.phys.org/news/2019-04-tiny-robots-powered-magnetic-fields.html

Flexible circuits made using 3D printing and silver nanowires:

https://m.phys.org/news/2019-04-flexible-circuits-d.html

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04-27-2019: I finally got a new microphone for audio recording, which seems to work pretty well! Listen to this silky smooth audio which entails me recalling how busy work has gotten in just a week, complaining about how much time I've spent on Netflix, and failing to remember when the movie Hurt Locker came out (it was 2008).

New nanotech episodes coming soon! Enjoy!

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I apologize in advance for this audio. I was in a noise-heavy room, so the end result after editing sounds kinda distorted. This episode of Nanotech News includes three recent developments: (1) moving and levitating objects with light, (2) fusing technology with microbial life to clean up the planet, and (3) discovering 2D materials using artificial intelligence.

Intro Music: "Sunshine" by Ikson

https://soundcloud.com/ikson

References:

Levitating or Propelling Objects with Light: https://www.nanotechnologyworld.org/single-post/2019/03/20/Levitating-objects-with-light?fbclid=IwAR1xxxLO1ui9Z4xVCg4XdmprQ5iMtGzzXfRELyvXBAlwIqOv8iOrLZMHj24

Microcyborgs: https://www.nanotechnologyworld.org/single-post/2019/04/15/Rotibots-Cyborgs-made-of-microfauna-and-microbeads

Using Deep Learning to Discover New 2D Materials: https://www.nanotechnologyworld.org/single-post/2019/04/11/Deep-learning-casts-wide-net-for-novel-2D-materials


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What if humans had the same camouflage ability as chameleons? Can we make suits that can shift colors and patterns and allow humans to blend in with any surface? How can we build materials that controllably change color in real time? Actually, I believe that all of these are possible...not with future technology, but with our current technology.

Music:

"Sunshine" by Ikson

http://soundcloud.com/ikson

Experiment studying chameleon skin:

Teyssier, J.; Saenko, S. V.; van der Marel, D.; and M. C. Milinkovitch. "Photonic crystals cause active colour change in chameleons." Nature Communications, 2015. https://www.nature.com/articles/ncomms7368.pdf 

Russian program working towards active camouflage:

https://www.popularmechanics.com/military/research/a22777736/russia-to-demonstrate-active-camouflage-for-soldiers-tanks/

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Will we ever be technologically advanced enough to build Tony Stark's nanotechnology suit from Avengers: Infinity War? Or to make clothing and surfaces that change color like a chameleon? Or to have self-assembling furniture composed of microrobots? These are the types of questions I LOVE to discuss. Very soon, I will make episodes centered around these topics and more!

Email me at nanotechjunkie@gmail.com for feedback or ideas for future nanotech episodes!

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04-12-2019: Recording from my car after work. I recorded this audio from my phone while on the go, so the audio quality is worse than usual. Nevertheless, I wanted to make sure I checked in, and I briefly talk about my ideas for the future of NanoJunkie.


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I finally got to record an episode about nanobots, which is a HOT topic in nanotechnology. Many news outlets have covered nanobots in recent years, particularly because of their potential to target and destroy tumors in the body. But...what exactly is a nanobot? How can we make a nanobot kill cancer cells? We should probably learn more about them before we stick them in our bloodstream. That's what this episode is for!

Reference to publication about controlling nanoscale beads in cells:

X. Wang et al. "Intracellular manipulation and measurement with multipole magnetic tweezers." Science Robotics, Vol. 4, Issue 28, March 2019. DOI: 10.1126/scirobotics.aav6180

Nanotechnology World article about nanoscale bead control:

https://www.nanotechnologyworld.org/single-post/2019/03/18/Researchers-create-nano-bot-to-probe-inside-human-cells

A free-to-view review about nanorobotics:

http://ijpsr.com/bft-article/nanorobots-a-review/?view=fulltext

Some random patent from the 2000s involving nanorobotics:

https://patentscope.wipo.int/search/en/detail.jsf?docId=WO2008063473&tab=PCTDESCRIPTION&maxRec=1000

My contact info: nanotechjunkie@gmail.com


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In this episode of Nanotech News, I cover a bit about batteries and the potential for better energy storage devices using two-dimensional (2D) materials. I'm still kinda sad that I didn't get to take any electrochemistry or battery-related courses while I was in school, so this episode is probably a good way for me to scratch that itch.

For ideas, questions, concerns, or whatever, contact me at nanotechjunkie@gmail.com!

References:

Wang, Xuehang et al. "Influences from solvents on charge storage in titanium carbide MXenes." Nature Energy 4, pp. 241-248, 2019.

"Right electrolyte doubles novel two-dimensional material's ability to store energy." https://www.nanotechnologyworld.org/single-post/2019/03/04/Right-electrolyte-doubles-novel-two-dimensional-materials-ability-to-store-energy

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I have not forgotten about this podcast! In fact, I have a quick announcement: the next Nanotech News episode will be coming out within a couple days! In this episode, I will discuss the potential for the next generation of battery technology based on two-dimensional materials.

P.S. If anyone has any feedback, questions, or ideas about the content, feel free to shoot me an email at nanotechjunkie@gmail.com

Keep your ears open!

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In this episode of Nanotech News, I will be discussing a new paper that may lead to a new form of data storage by controlled phase transitions in atoms or groups of atoms. There are many new and innovative ways of storing bits of informations, but storing data in individual atoms could offer the densest form of data storage to date.

(I apologize in advance for some of the bad audio quality in this one. I'm still experimenting to find the optimal recording setup.)

References:

Ahsan, A et al. "Phase Transitions in Confinements: Controlling Solid to Fluid Transitions of Xenon Atoms in an On-Surface Network." Small, 2019: Vol. 15. DOI: 10.1002/smll.201803169.

"Data Storage using Individual Molecules". https://www.nanotechnologyworld.org/single-post/2018/12/18/Data-storage-using-individual-molecules

"Flash memory's density surpasses hard drive for first time". https://www.computerworld.com/article/3030642/flash-memorys-density-surpasses-hard-drives-for-first-time.html

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In this installment of the nanotech series, I discuss a new development that I've been hearing a lot about recently in nanotech circles: holey graphene. Why would you want to purposefully make holes in graphene? Doesn't that lower its quality and effectiveness? What's the deal? It turns out graphene in holes can be really useful as well, as I discuss here!

References:

Moreno, Cesar, et al. "Bottom-up synthesis of multifunctional nanoporous graphene." Science,13 Apr 2018: Vol. 360, Issue 6385, pp. 199-203. DOI: 10.1126/science.aar2009

C&EN article: "Holey graphene translates to working transistor." https://cen.acs.org/content/cen/articles/96/i16/Holey-graphene-translates-working-transistor.html

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02-15-2019: Today, I’m covering an article about a graphene-based innovation developed by researchers at the University of Manchester. This new nanotechnology has the potential to turn plain old ocean water into freshwater, providing potential solutions to water security and sustainability worldwide.


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