Do you Understand biotechnology and Nanotechnology and their potentials and dangers?

I feel that there has been a really big lack of information given to the general public on these technology, they are fast approaching and will radicly change our world and change could happen within weeks of advanced nanotechnology

Also do you understand the threats of biotechnology, It promises to cure disease and stop aging. But it could also mean the end of humanity or millions of deaths throughgeneticly engineered viruses that we have no weapon to fight against.

Please VOTE and if you wish to ask any questions or need sources to back up my claims i'll provide more info and sources.

Full-blown molecular manufacturing is right around the corner. Sometime between 2005 and 2020, new manufacturing technologies will be created with practical effects exceeding those of ten Industrial Revolutions. Products manufactured by molecular machinery, from the atoms up, each piece put into its precise place.

Some minor points about nanotechnology:

- Going from a basic assembler to a nanofactory of practically arbitrary size is easy.
- Nanotech products will be diamond. A single desktop nanofactory can create enough diamond to crash the gem market within hours.
- Every present-day industry will be displaced by nanotechnological equivalents. This will happen over years or months, not decades.
- Non-nanotech companies will not be able to compete economically with nanotech companies.
- Non-nanotech powers will not be able to compete militarily with nanotech powers.
- Nanotech products will cost as much as their raw materials.
- Design of new products will be CAD-aided and easy for anyone.
- Massive life extension will quickly become feasible.
- Many huge developments could literally happen overnight.


if you want to study this go to http://www.crnano.org/studies.htm

I don't understand very well these technologies, but I know they are VERY popular now...

wow this sounds like something out of metal gear solid

Gray goo is a real threat. It is when the nanobots go overboard in replicating themselves and in the process convert all available matter to copies of themselves. Good for the bots, but less when your the one being converted. Grey goo is the stage where this is done to such a level, when the whole planet is converted.

But then again ..... 2YK was also sure to be a crippling disaster

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/4181197.stm

New development today!!!

'Living' robots powered by muscle

The robot is a dramatic example of the marriage of biotechnology with nanotechnology

The work is a dramatic example of the marriage of biotechnology with the tiny world of nanotechnology.

Under a microscope, you can see the tiny, two-footed "bio-bots" crawl around

They're absolutely alive," Professor Montemagno told BBC News. "I mean the cells actually grow, multiply and assemble - they form the structure themselves. So the device is alive."

The notion is likely to disturb many who already have concerns about nanotechnology.


You can read all of it from that link

Also nanotech will make life a bit easier, You will never have to clean you're windows ever again.... oops there goes the window cleaners job.

Self cleaning carpets... again putting more people out of work.

No need to iron clothes anymore with the use of nanotechnology.

Also you're clothes wont be able to get stained or water spilt on them. it will just roll off.

There are some near term simple things lol.


mabey you can give us some ideas on what other uses there are for nanotech and how it will affect businesses mabey//?

I'll be honest and say I don't know anything about either really. It isn't something I have researched so your research and input is appreciated.

I hope nanobots will remain under strictly control environment and not to be available for civilians use for many years. It is as bad as a deadly virus in the wrong hands.

Worse, It could change the oxygen we breath into methane.

The military is gonna have alot of fun with nano over the next few years...all sorts of Military Assault bots , drones,major weapon enhancements
Nano tech is said to be 1000 times stronger then steel.....Lets just hope that we dont do anything stupid and start arming these bots with weapons and AI that will lead to self awareness....nobody wants to be killed by a rogue machine...especially if you see 100 AWOL military bots coming down the streets off loading there rounds

of cause thats just if they mass produced bots with ai...and who knows..theyd probably have fail safes on them to prevent that sort of thing from happening

Man-made Diamonds are a reality. Not small ones either, but carat-class and gem quality.
Look here: http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/11.09/diamond.html

Well the future will be full of many amazing things and sadly many deadly thing. These technologies can be used for great good but also unspeakbale bad and I guess that teher will be people out there willing to do the latter!

Yea its all very interesting stuff for sure, thanks for posting whoa182..

I find the 'x100 'O' blood' very interesting indeed... and maybe it could put scooba diving business out of work?

Great stuff though... the living nanobots are a reality, which really shows how easy it may have been for a civilization that are advanced by thousands of years to have simply created us... just a thought

Small science to be big in 2005
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/4187813.stm

"Nanotechnology" will be a much more familiar word to everyone in 2005, not just scientists, say analysts.

Nanotechnologies involve the manipulation of structures at the molecular scale and can change the behaviour of materials.

It has been slowly moving into sun creams, drug delivery and computer disk drives to improve storage.

But it will soon be the cornerstone of every manufacturing industry says a Deloitte research trends report.

The Deloitte research Predictions 2005 report points to key developments to keep an eye on in the coming year.

"We find that nanotechnology is extremely poorly understood in general," David Tansley, Deloitte telcoms and technology partner, told the BBC News website.

"As soon as you mention it, people conjure up images of small robots carrying out surgery or things that are not desirable.

These are just a few examples



1 - Organic Light Emitting Diodes (OLEDs) for displays
2 - Photovoltaic film that converts light into electricity
3 - Scratch-proof coated windows that clean themselves with UV
4 - Fabrics coated to resist stains and control temperature
5 - Intelligent clothing measures pulse and respiration
6 - Bucky-tubeframe is light but very strong
7 - Hip-joint made from biocompatible materials
8 - Nano-particle paint to prevent corrosion
9 - Thermo-chromic glass to regulate light
10 - Magnetic layers for compact data memory
11 - Carbon nanotube fuel cells to power electronics and vehicles
12 - Nano-engineered cochlear implant


You can read the FULL article here : http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/4187813.stm

MY friends brother developed a way to construct Nano Bots using MAgnets. His research and development are noe being funded by Queens University (at least i think its Queens).

~Thanato

http://crnano.typepad.com/crnblog/2005/01/...e_eve_of_t.html

On the Eve of the Nano Era
Information technology, cognitive science, biotechnology, environmental science, aerospace technology -- all will have significant impacts on society over the next two decades. Each will provide bridges to progress, and some will raise concerns about safety.

But the most difficult challenges likely will result from exponential general-purpose molecular manufacturing, made possible by advanced nanotechnology. This could have far-ranging environmental, economic, military, ethical, legal, and social implications.

Nanotechnology is expected to have great impacts on many fields, including mining, refining, manufacturing, transportation, storage, and wholesale and retail distribution. It could mean millions of jobs lost, or shifted. It could represent a radical transformation of traditional power structures, which may not come about easily, or peacefully. It could also mean opportunities like we’ve never had before to relieve poverty, prevent illness, and offer education to millions of people in developing nations.

In what areas will nanotechnology have the greatest impact? What nations or corporations are working to develop it? How soon should all these impacts be expected? What policy choices can be made today that may change the anticipated outcomes?

Unfortunately, we do not have conclusive answers to all these questions. Much more research is needed. Over the next few days, we’ll provide a current overview of the issues, the facts, and our future prospects as we approach the era of nanotechnology.

Heres 1 of the early applications of nanotechnology

http://www.foresight.org/Nanomedicine/Gall...spirocytes.html

The respirocyte is a bloodborne 1-micron-diameter spherical nanomedical device designed by Robert A. Freitas Jr.. The device acts as an artificial mechanical red blood cell It is designed as a diamondoid 1000-atmosphere pressure vessel with active pumping powered by endogenous serum glucose, and can deliver 236 times more oxygen to the tissues per unit volume than natural red cells while simultaneously managing carbonic acidity.

An individual respirocyte consists of 18 billion precisely arranged structural atoms plus 9 billion temporarily resident molecules when fully loaded. An onboard nanocomputer and numerous chemical and pressure sensors allow the device to exhibit behaviors of modest complexity, remotely reprogrammable by the physician via externally applied acoustic signals

if you were to replace 10% of you're blood with these, You would be able to hold you're breath for around 4 hours

Ahh... no more soldiers saying "We're running out of ammo!"

I think with every great technology, there are benefits as well as some risks. in this case, I think the benefits greatly outweigh the risks. People have been afraid of new technologies in the past, but overall people are much better off materially and are likely to live longer. Technology is the only thing that may also save humanity from its inevitable demise. Sooner or later something will kill us off naturally, whether it be a supervolcano, asteroid, disease, etc. These technologies have the potential to be able to control these things to such a degree that these things will no longer imperil us. There is a small chance that technology will kill us eventually, but there is 100% that nature will kill us eventually in the absence of advanced technology.

Found a good PDF thing here
http://www.kurzweilai.net/meme/frame.html?...es/art0588.html

its only 4mb

The Ray Kurzweil Reader
by Ray Kurzweil

The Ray Kurzweil Reader is a collection of essays by Ray Kurzweil on virtual reality, artificial intelligence, radical life extension, conscious machines, the promise and peril of technology, and other aspects of our future world. These essays, all published on KurzweilAI.net from 2001 to 2003, are now available as a PDF document for convenient downloading and offline reading. The 30 essays, organized in seven memes (such as "How to Build a Brain"), cover subjects ranging from a review of Matrix Reloaded to "The Coming Merging of Mind and Machine" and "Human Body Version 2.0."

Does this imply that at some point in time, the Androids of Sci-Fi fame could actually become reality? Is that a possiblility? I think it is. Can you imagine then the world with Androids fighting our wars, keeping the peace in the streets, doing the dangerous or mundane work that humans do today? Factory Androids on assembly lines?
Android pets? How about Android leaders? An Android Anti-Christ?

Yah but i dont really think they are a good thing..

Emerging Technologies Form Futuristic Uniform

Lopez, an infantry Soldier stationed at the Natick Soldier Center in Massachusetts, spent four days in what could be the Army uniform of the future at the 24th Army Science Conference, explaining the technology behind it.

The black fabric of the form-fitting suit would be made through the wonder of nanotechnology, which involves manipulating atoms and molecules to create things at the nanometer scale. That's about 50,000 times smaller than the diameter of a strand of hair. Soldiers wearing the suit would have the ability to blend into any environment, like a chameleon.

The helmet is the main hub of the uniform, where "all of the action happens," Lopez said. A tiny video camera in front provides 360-degree situational awareness. A series of sensors inside give the Soldier three-dimensional audiological hearing and the ability to amplify specific sounds, while lowering the volume of others

Virtual reality technology would also play a part in helping the Soldier navigate an environment by projecting maps on the ground surrounding him or her.

Sensors detect threat, provide treatment

Thermal sensors weaved into the fabric of the uniform control its temperature, based on the Soldier's environment. An on-board respirator, tethered to the Soldier's back, provides a continuous supply of fresh air – eliminating the need for a protective mask. Should the Soldier have the visor up, or the helmet off, and breath in some kind of harmful agent, the uniform sensor will immediately detect it, release tiny embedded capsules to counter it and inject treatment into the Soldier's body.

oh and its completely bullet proof

you can read all on the site,
http://www.military.com/NewsContent/0,1331...tml?ESRC=dod.nl

The Borg seems to come closer than ever now. I wouldn't think I'd be interested in Star Trek but the only thing that I liked were the wars between species, the rest was just drama. I feel like a nerd.

Anyway, that is amazing how they constructed these "bio-bots". If scientists work further into this, they can construct "bio-botical" prosthesis'.

Most of the people I know have no idea how their toaster works or why you cant put metal in a micro- wave. And yet I see by the poll that 60% of you know how nanotech works.

OK, but can you change a cars tires.

htrn3000 here, well since the only way that I know of to avoid the future is death. You may as well grab onto something and hang on for the ride.And besides anyone with even a iota of common sence knows that life is one big crap shoot anyway! And how many things boy's and girls,do you know of that can be only used either for good or evil? How many of you are willing to be against progress because there are always risks involved? I don't know about you guy's, but I've got a 25yr. old daughter and a grandson that will be 2 in May,so I Have to keep a bright outlook on the future if only for them.

A new article I just found Check it out

Nanomedicine's Promise Is Anything but Tiny

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/artic...-2005Jan30.html

It was a small wedding. Very small. But big changes are coming from the marriage of medicine and nanotechnology, the new branch of science that deals with things a few millionths of an inch in size.

Think "tiny medicine," and you probably think "Fantastic Voyage," the 1966 movie (and Isaac Asimov book) about a minuscule medical crew submarining through a patient's circulatory system. In fact, some nanomedicine experts foresee a day when invisibly small robots will cruise through the body looking for signs of disease -- albeit without the added attraction of a neoprene-clad Raquel Welch.

Nanobots" remain imaginary for now, but a number of other futuristic nanodevices are already proving their potential in animal and human experiments. More than 60 drugs and drug delivery systems based on nanotechnology, and more than 90 medical devices or diagnostic tests, are already being tested, according to NanoBiotech News, a weekly newsletter that tracks the field. These examples, drawn from recent scientific publications, offer a glimpse of just how small the field of medicine is getting.


Frying Tumors

One of the best ways to destroy a tumor is to burn it. But that is difficult to do without frying nearby healthy tissue, especially when the tumor is deep in the body. Enter "photo-thermal nano-shells," little creations of Jennifer West at Rice University in Houston.

The shells are gold-coated spheres about 130 nanometers in diameter, which means about 15,000 of them could line up across the head of a pin. Metallic spheres of that size are very good at absorbing "near infrared" light -- a variant of the kind of light emitted by television remote controls -- that can harmlessly penetrate several inches into the body.

When West and her colleagues infused her nanoshells into the bloodstreams of mice with cancer, the spheres traveled through the circulatory system and then concentrated around the animals' tumors -- a fortuitous result of the fact that blood vessels tend to be leaky near tumors. Then the team exposed the animals to the near infrared light. The nanospheres quickly absorbed that energy and heated up to about 122 degrees Fahrenheit, cooking the tumors but leaving surrounding tissues unharmed.

Months later, the animals were still cancer-free.

"We can easily get them even hotter than that," West said of the spheres, which later get eliminated by the immune system.

With nearly $10 billion slated for investment in nanotech research this year, nanomedicine is sure to get hotter as well.


Quantum Dot Diagnostics

Quantum dots, also known as "qdots," are bits of material -- silicon, for example -- that are so tiny they are in some cases just a few atoms across. Illuminated by ultraviolet light, they glow very brightly with a specific hue that depends on their size: qdots with diameters of about 2 nanometers (billionths of a meter) glow bright green, for example; 5 nanometer dots glow brilliant red

Now scientists are developing qdots not just for basic research but to diagnose diseases.

There are scores of proteins and other substances in the body that are early indicators of disease but which are difficult to detect with current technologies. While qdots and other nanomaterials have not been proved safe for use in the body, they are clearly capable of spotting diseases in blood or tissue specimens. Qdots that bind to proteins unique to cancer cells, for example, can literally bring tumors to light.

Blood Test in a Nanotube

Among the more curious creations of nanotechnology are carbon nanotubes -- hollow tubes about 1/100,000th the diameter of a human hair, made of interwoven carbon atoms. Because the laws of physics get strange at those scales, they display bizarre electrical and optical properties.

Among the more curious creations of nanotechnology are carbon nanotubes -- hollow tubes about 1/100,000th the diameter of a human hair, made of interwoven carbon atoms. Because the laws of physics get strange at those scales, they display bizarre electrical and optical properties.

Thousands of these nanotubes can be packed into a hair-like capsule the size of a splinter, which can be painlessly implanted under the skin. The result: a quick and easy way to measure blood sugar. Simply shine infrared light on the tiny implant and then measure, with a handheld device, the intensity of the glow. Strano envisions coated nanotubes being used as implantable biosensors to get continuous readings of a number of medically important measures, such as cholesterol or hormone levels, without ever having to get a drop of blood from the body.



Nursing Neurons With Nanogels

Injured nerves do not regenerate easily, and the little healing that does occur is often inhibited by scar tissue formation. Samuel Stupp and John Kessler at Northwestern University in Chicago are using nanotechnology to overcome those hurdles.

They made tiny rod-like molecules called amphiphiles, each of which is capped by a cluster of amino acids known to spur the growth of neurons and prevent scar tissue formation. The molecules are designed to remain suspended in a few drops of liquid until they come in contact with living cells. At that point they spontaneously arrange themselves like spokes in a wheel, and then further assemble into spaghetti-like nanofibers a few thousandths the thickness of a human hair. The nerve-healing amino acids end up arranged nicely on the fibers' surface.

The nanofibers turn the liquid in which they are suspended into a therapeutic gel, which in experiments with cultured cells spurred neuron growth and inhibited scar formation. Moreover, rats and mice that got injections of the liquid a day after spinal cord injuries were more likely to recover the ability to walk than untreated animals.

The team has also made self-assembling nanofibers bearing amino acids involved in bone healing, which have speeded the recovery of rodents with severe bone injuries.

Ray of Light Detects Illnesses like Diabetes and Cancer

Nanotech news:

efforts to commercialize nanotechnology are evident in countries worldwide, and Korea is no exception. In fact, in the most recent illustration of this trend, a research team at the Korean Electronics Technology Institute has created a nano-based biosensor that makes it possible for doctors to recognize symptoms of diseases including diabetes as well as analyze health conditions using a single ray of light.

The diagnostic device emits a ray of light onto a part of the body, and by studying the light that is reflected from the body, doctors can determine the person's blood sugar level, the state of his or her bone as well as muscle and other health data.

Researchers say the ultra-sensitive gadget can be further enhanced to detect the molecular and genetic signals of cancer. Nanotechnology refers to "the art of manipulating materials on an atomic or molecular scale especially to build microscopic devices."

Source: http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/new...0502040014.html


These kind of things are happening everyday, We currently have 100's of diagnostic devices like this that are being tested and will be here within the next 2 years. Through nanotech breakthroughs millions will be saved and we all will get quicker diagnoses, within minutes instead of days or weeks

Fascinating

i must say i dont know much about nanotechnology

but aside from obvious military and medical possibilities there are 2 areas that i find very interesting

farming i would say it could make food cheaper and much more plentiful
http://www.fengshuitours.com/Research/UofI01282005.asp

http://www.msu.edu/user/ifas/nano/nano.html


the second is the idea of making a nanotech submarines seems they could handle the deep sea pressure and if they can make nanotech-windows then they should be able to have nanotech lenses for cameras and lights the pictures from the bottom of the ocean would be fascinating

http://news.nanoapex.com/modules.php?name=...rticle&sid=3914
may be a reality soon

yeah. Its expected to affect the WHOLE WORLD, every part of the economy no matter what business you are in


Meaning we are near a massive industrial revolution

seems indirectly nanotech could aid in world peace in some areas

by this i mean if there is an abundance for food, affordable healthcare worldwide even in third world countries

these things and more may make for less overall hostility

and nanotech space travel may soon make it less crowded around here, heck if nanotech can build stronger safer cheaper buildings we could move people under the sea eh ?

atleast we can hope for the best

NASA is involved in researching nano materials for their electronics and spacecrafts. So NASA's future will heavily rely on nanotech to move forward to safer projects in space exploration/travel.

Just found an article on the mprize website.


Drugs delivered by robots in the blood
http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn6474

A microscopic swimming robot unveiled by Chinese scientists could eventually be used for drug delivery or to clear arteries in humans, say researchers.

The 3 millimetre-long triangular machine was constructed by Tao Mei of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, and colleagues from the University of Science and Technology of China.

Nanotechnology would alter the world in a really good way. However, we as humans would have to produce less offspring because it would make people live allot longer, get rid of hundreds of millions of jobs and there wouldn't be much that could kill you because if the EMT (ambulance/ emergency medical team) got to you in time they could fix you. It would cause a world somewhat like the one in "futurama" without all of the robots and aliens. People would be allowed to live until they're like 180 and then sent to a planet to die. People would probably have to get licenses after taking allot of tests in order to have kids. There wouldn't be much for us to do except make the technology, repair it and improve it.

Teeny, tiny tech

Developments are under way that could wipe batteries off the face of the Earth. Researchers at the Oregon Nanoscience and Microtechnologies Institute (ONAMI), a consortium of Oregon educational institutions, say they have made significant breakthroughs in a power source that essentially turns 20 pounds of batteries into 8 ounces of fuel the size of a cigarette lighter.


wow, not bad...


I think its about time I started to invest in nanotech and biotech now

All we are missing is holographic communications and intersteller travel. Alot can be said for technology if it is to benefit humanity; and not be there for the self-destruction of the planet and nearby systems.

Well the problem is, With powerful technologies like nanotech and genetic engineering there comes dangers that are even far more powerful than Nuclear weapons

Fascinating! Must look it up and learn more
Thx whoa182

I just read the the new essay on " dreams and nightmares of nanotechnology " - http://portal.unesco.org/shs/en/file_downl...aNanoethics.pdf

In the nightmare part it talks about surveilance of the entire civilian population without them even noticing by using things such as:

Nano scale tracking devices, nano sensors, nanocameras and nano microphones. All these would be invisible to the human eye, We could all be watched without even notcing it because these devices will be like a piece of dust, or smaller.. They could go anywhere and everywhere.

but there is also a nice bright side to nanotechnology... But hopefuly security infrustructure should develop before. Im guessing it will, Nanotechnology is being looked at by all areas of science now to see the potential dangers and the good it can do.

Early Cancer Detection is Treatment of the Future, Nano-Medicine

“The nanoparticles are safe to handle and safe to administer, so this could speed the process of approval.” said Kattesh Katti, professor of radiology and biomedical physics. “This research looks very promising.”

Research is underway to use the nanoparticles to detect cancer, even at a pre-cancerous stage through medical imaging techniques. First, doctors would administer millions of nanoparticles programmed to target cancerous tumors. Once the metallic particles locate the early tumor, doctors would use an X-ray to see the tumor as early as just one cancer cell, possibly months or even years earlier than can be detected now. With current technology, cancer must exist within a cluster of hundreds of cells and in a much more advanced stage to be seen.

Nanoparticles are so tiny that it would take 100,000 of them lined up to equal the width of a single human hair,” said Kannan Raghuraman, research professor of radiology. “A single nanoparticle inside of one cell would be equivalent to an ant inside an automobile.”

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=20777

Nano-Technology = Sum scary shyt

I may not be a scientist,but from what i've heard and read about nanotechnology,it's light years beyond scary shyt.In the wrong hands,it could mean the end of mankind.Don't get me wrong I'm not against scientific progress,however, all one need do is look back to 9-11.and look once again at what happened simply by using airplanes as missiles.Nanotechnology of the wrong type getting into the wrong hands,would make Ebola look like the common cold.No my friends,I DO NOT,believe in progress at any cost! Any thoughts or comments,please reply here or at htrn3000@yahoo.com

Its like, uber scary/good sh**. Can be good, can be bad.

Well yeah, Nanotech and biotech could potentially be many times worse than all the nuclear weapons on earth. Forget nukes they are nothing compared to this kind of technology.

With Nano and biotech you could possibly make a virus that will only kill a certain type of person, people with blue eyes or all chinese people and the virus would only target them people. So we are living in a more ' smart ' world.

Thats why there are serious debates going on because its actually not that far away, im not talking about a 2100 scenario, They think it could REALLY be here within the next 10 + years.

The 21st century could go extremely good, or VERY VERY bad.

and all it could take is, 1 person with the knowledge and tools to make everything very bad.

You guys will see a Movie later this year i believe, its called Prey or Nano. its about self replicating nanomachines. Could be good


Nanotech could make superman look very weak lol

Because we might be able to make us stronger, by using things like nanotubes on our bones or for our bones, Enabling humans to LIFT 10 TONS

http://www.mrsec.virginia.edu/NANOMedium.mov

A little quicktime video if you want to see and hear about some near term applications of Nanotechnology and to try understand how big it actually will be

as we advance the dangers become more worse

o the irony

response / htrn3000-great answer,If you can think of two or three more inane sentences we'll all be able to start a whole new subject. The dumbing down of Canadian's and Americans.

Toshiba preps minute-charge 'miracle' battery

Toshiba has developed a Lithium-Ion battery capable of being charged to 80 per cent of its full capacity in under 60 seconds. Filling it up takes just "a few more minutes", the company boasted today.

That's considerably faster than today's Li-ion rechargeables which can take 1-4 hours to reach 80 per cent capacity, and even longer to fill completely.

Toshiba also claimed the new cell offers a greater longevity than today's Li-ion batteries, losing only one per cent of its capacity after 1000 charge cycles, according to the results of its own charge-discharge testing.

The battery can operate at temperatures of -40°C, though it's limited to 80 per cent of capacity in such conditions, compared to 100 per cent at 25°C. At 45°C, its longevity begins to tail off, losing five per cent of capacity after 1000 charging cycles.

The company lauded the new battery's eco-credentials. With such a fast recharge time, it consumes less energy than today's Li-ion cells, leading to reduced carbon-dioxide emissions, Toshiba claimed.

The secret is the use of "nano-particles" to "prevent organic liquid electrolytes from reducing during battery recharging. The nano-particles quickly absorb and store vast amount of lithium ions, without causing any deterioration in the electrode".

Toshiba's miracle battery will come to market next year, the company said, initially in automotive and industrial applications. However, there's a clear benefit for mobile devices. Toshiba's prototype 600mAh cell, for example, was clearly developed with compact gadgets in mind: it measures 6.2 x 3.5 x 0.4cm.

Um.... thanks htrn..... lol