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Nanomite

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Diamond Age page for nanomite

Stephensonia

More Buckyball-type fairy dust stuff here.      “... "At your Honor's convenience," Miss Pao said, "I would invite you to examine the two objects I laid on the table."      Judge Fang was startled to notice that, while the block's appearance had not changed, the book had become covered in a layer of thick gray dust, as if it had been growing mildew for several decades.      "Oooh," Chang blurted, sucking in a lengthy skein of noodles into his maw and bulging his eyes in the direction of this particular exhibit.      Judge Fang rose, walked around the table and bent down for a closer look. The gray dust was not uniformly distributed; it was much thicker toward the edges of the book cover. He opened the book and was startled to see that the dust had infiltrated deep between the pages.      "This is dust with a purpose in life," Judge Fang observed. ...”

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  • TBA

Community entry: Nanomite

Nanomites are infinitesimal nanotech robots. Smart dust, in other words. The term "Nanomite" seems to refer to the airborne variety, for those whose work is primarily in the human body see "nanosite". Airborne nanomites have a propulsion system, but not much of one. They are very much at the whim of the air currents.

In the novel, we see several uses for nanomites: 1. Firstly, nanomites are used as a protective agent. In this form, they are known as Immunocules. The Leased Territories in New Chusan exist primarily as a sort of "Neo-Victorian-Free" zone where this cloud exists, forming the nanotechnological portion of Atlantis-Shanghai's immune system. This is visible as a constant layer of fog, as water condenses on them. 2. Nanomites can also be used for espionage. Both Doctor X and John Percival Hackworth used 'mites of this type to search for the missing copy of the Primer early in the first part of the book. They were captured by the the air filtration system of Tequila's apartment, and only registered a "find" result once Nell left the safety of her home. 3. Finally, nanomites can be used for harm. They can deliver nanoexplosives such as Cookie Cutters into the bloodstream of a target, causing a great deal of damage. The primary problem, though is that they can't be aimed all that well. there is a major chance of affecting freindly targets due to their indiscriminate nature.

Health Hazard

In the novel, we see that nanomites, nanocites, nanites, and other nanoscopic devices of diamondoid, are a distinct health hazard. Harv dies late in the novel of a nanomite-related form of silicosis or emphysema that decimates his respiratory/cardiovascular system, primarily of spending too much time outside in the Leased Territories collecting nanomites during bouts of nano-combat which leave gazillions of nanomite hulls strewn about the landscape.

This health hazard is not just fictional: Contact: Michael Bernstein 202-872-6042 in Washington, D.C. March 27 - April 1, 2004, in Anaheim 714-765-2068 American Chemical Society

Type Of Buckyball Shown To Cause Brain Damage In Fish

ANAHEIM, Calif., March 28 — Researchers have found that a type of buckyball — a carbon nanoparticle that shows promise for electronic, commercial and pharmaceutical uses — can cause significant brain damage in fish. The small preliminary study, the first to demonstrate that nanoparticles can cause toxic effects in an aquatic species, could point to potential risks in people exposed to the particles, they say. The study was described today at the 227th national meeting of the American Chemical Society, the world's largest scientific society.

"There are many potential benefits of nanotechnology, but its hazards and risks are poorly understood. This study gives us additional cause for concern," says study leader Eva Oberdörster, Ph.D., an environmental toxicologist with Southern Methodist University in Dallas.

Buckyballs are pure carbon structures shaped like soccer balls that differ from other forms of pure carbon, like diamond and graphite, in the way their atoms are bonded. The structures, also known as fullerenes, are thousands of times smaller than the width of a human hair.

Experts predict the widespread use of these and other nanoparticles in the future. Buckyballs show promise as components of fuel cells, drug delivery systems and cosmetics that delay aging. Although promising, their health risk is unknown.

In a controlled laboratory study, the researcher exposed nine juvenile largemouth bass — confined to 10-Liter aquaria — to a form of water-soluble buckyball (C60) at a dose of 0.5 parts per million.

After 48 hours, the animals developed significant brain damage as measured by lipid peroxidation, or the breakdown of lipids, as shown by laboratory analysis of brain tissue samples. The brain damage seen in the fish exposed to the nanoparticles was severe: 17 times higher than that seen in nine unexposed animals, the researcher says.

"Given the rapid onset of brain damage, it is important to further test and assess the risks and benefits of this new technology before use becomes even more widespread," says Oberdörster. Until further studies are done, no one knows yet whether these and other buckyballs will cause similar brain damage in humans, she emphasizes.

To date, there have been no human studies of the health effect of buckyballs or other manufactured nanoparticles, the researcher says. A few animal studies have shown that nano-sized particles are capable of moving into the brain after being inhaled, but the current study is believed to be the first to show that the particles can actually cause damage to the brain, Oberdörster says.

In addition to damage to the brain, the researcher also investigated altered gene expression in the liver of exposed fish. "We found a variety of genes that were turned on or turned off, indicating a whole-body response to fullerene exposure," she says, adding that these studies represent the first steps in a longer process of studying changes in gene expression.

In particular, Oberdörster found chemical markers in the liver of the exposed fish that indicated the onset of inflammation, a process that has been implicated in an increasing number of diseases.

The researchers still do not know the mechanism by which buckyballs cause damage in the fish. "We don't know if the fullerenes are directly causing lipid peroxidation in the brain tissue or whether it is a secondary effect caused by inflammation," Oberdörster says.

The researcher is planning additional studies in the future to determine the mechanisms of action and to find out how many buckyballs get into the fish's body and where the particles are distributed. She expressed concern that nanoparticles could begin to accumulate throughout the food chain, affecting not just fish, but other animals, plants and possible people.

Researchers worldwide are just beginning to test manufactured nanoparticles for signs of possible toxicity, but it may be years before any reliable human data are available, Oberdörster stresses. As several companies are beginning to manufacture engineered fullerenes, an initial concern is workplace exposure to the particles, she says. People are not currently exposed to engineered fullerenes in consumer products, but their use is expected to increase in the future. This study suggests that an evaluation of human exposure levels should be completed before these particles are widely used in consumer products, the researcher says.

The paper on this research, IEC 21, will be presented at 1:40 p.m. on Sunday, March 28, at the Anaheim Marriott, Grand Ballroom F, during the "Nanotechnology and the Environment" symposium.

Eva Oberdörster, Ph.D., is currently a lecturer in the Department of Biology at Southern Methodist University in Dallas. She is also an adjunct assistant research scientist at Duke University in Durham, N.C. — Mark T. Sampson

Wikipedia: Buckyball

Fullerenes are one of only 4 types of naturally occurring forms of carbon (the other three being diamond, graphite and ceraphite). They are molecules composed entirely of carbon, taking the form of a hollow sphere, ellipsoid, or tube. Spherical fullerenes are sometimes called buckyballs, while cylindrical fullerenes are called buckytubes or nanotubes. more in link