Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and IBM are in partnership to create a computing center devoted to developing nanoscale projects. This will include ‘Blue Gene’ supercomputers amongst other wonders of the computing industry, and will provide over 70 teraflops of raw processing power. Big money spent on developing tiny gadgets.

An article on Space.com discusses the changing landscape of the space advocacy movement. NASA’s role is changing by necessity, and the libertarian public sector is making some big noises. We live in exciting times.

Researchers in Ohio have created the first synthetic fractal molecule at the nanoscale. No word yet on what uses it will have, however.

The Blue Brain project is attempting to create a working simulation of the human brain to advance cognition research. Using one of IBM’s ‘Blue Gene’ supercomputers, they have managed to model the firing of 10,000 neurons – now all they have to do is work out how to deal with the huge amount of data produced.

Scientists at Delft University have discovered a way to use the motors of biological cells to sort flows of discreet molecules by their colour, using electrical charge to direct the molecules. This is another big step forward for the field of nanomachinery. I’m putting in a pre-order for my home fabricator as soon as someone gets a decent prototype sorted out.