Tiny robots powered by living muscle

[cKGunslinger]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/4181197.stm

Tiny robots powered by living muscle have been created by scientists at the University of California, Los Angeles.

The devices were formed by "growing" rat cells on microscopic silicon chips, the researchers report in the journal Nature Materials.

Less than a millimetre long, the miniscule robots can move themselves without any external source of power.

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

In nanotechnology, researchers often turn to the natural world for inspiration.

But Professor Carlo Montemagno, of the University of California, Los Angeles, turns to nature not for ideas, but for actual starting materials.

In the past he has made rotary nano-motors out of genetically engineered proteins. Now he has grown muscle tissue onto tiny robotic skeletons.

(more)


Pretty cool, I have to admit. Nanotechnology combined with Bioengineering - what could possibly go wrong?

 

[MAW1082]

I have an idea . . . how about we revert to a life void of technology and innovation . . . maybe then all the neoconservative evangelical elitists will finally be happy.

cKGunslinger . . . is that a "clever" way to disguise your real identity?

 

[illustri]

great now all we need is for that tissue to be seeded with genetically engineered embryonic stem cells

/i'll grab the torch you get the pitchforks

 

[CycloWizard]

Originally posted by: MAW1082
I have an idea . . . how about we revert to a life void of technology and innovation . . . maybe then all the neoconservative evangelical elitists will finally be happy.

cKGunslinger . . . is that a "clever" way to disguise your real identity?

He's been here a lot longer than you, in case you didn't notice.

 

[cKGunslinger]

Originally posted by: MAW1082
I have an idea . . . how about we revert to a life void of technology and innovation . . . maybe then all the neoconservative evangelical elitists will finally be happy.

cKGunslinger . . . is that a "clever" way to disguise your real identity?

1) How did my post about the coolness of this new technology deserve a response about anti-intellectual neoconservative evangelical elitists?

2) WTF are you talking about?


FFS, I thought P&N was bad before the election - but at least people argued about actual ideas then. I still have no idea why you even responded to this thread... or I to you, for that matter.

 

[shenaniganz]

Originally posted by: MAW1082
I have an idea . . . how about we revert to a life void of technology and innovation . . . maybe then all the neoconservative evangelical elitists will finally be happy.

cKGunslinger . . . is that a "clever" way to disguise your real identity?

While I don't spend much time in P&N, I thought I'd wander in here to see what people's reactions were to News stories. This thread looked interesting and lighthearted, so I clicked--not realizing that I needed to don my flamesuit. Jeez, I'm outta here; this place is full of anger.

 

[biostud]

We are the Borg.

 

[halik]

holy crap thats amazing. How come that didn't make the news??/

 

[peonyu]

First flying rat brain warplanes and now rat muscles that can think, all i gotta say is wtf and when can i expect rat motherbrain ?

 

[PatboyX]

Originally posted by: cKGunslinger

Originally posted by: MAW1082
I have an idea . . . how about we revert to a life void of technology and innovation . . . maybe then all the neoconservative evangelical elitists will finally be happy.

cKGunslinger . . . is that a "clever" way to disguise your real identity?

1) How did my post about the coolness of this new technology deserve a response about anti-intellectual neoconservative evangelical elitists?

2) WTF are you talking about?


FFS, I thought P&N was bad before the election - but at least people argued about actual ideas then. I still have no idea why you even responded to this thread... or I to you, for that matter.

eh, best not to think on what the hell was going on.
the article is interesting but i spent too much of my childhood reading science fiction to feel comfortable with it...WHEN WILL IT ATTACK!?!
or better yet...who wants to take bets on how long before a weapon?

 

[conjur]

Imagine our CPUs one day being organic?

 

[cKGunslinger]

Originally posted by: conjur
Imagine our CPUs one day being organic?

I dunno, isn't organic material quite a bit "slower" than electrons, et al? Although, I guess if they could make organic "brain-like'"CPUs wtih the ability to "reason" or something, that'd outweight any speed differences.