Nanosystems: Molecular Machinery, Manufacturing, and Computation

"Devices enormously smaller than before will remodel engineering,chemistry, medicine, and computer technology. How can we understandmachines that are so small? Nanosystems covers it all: powerand strength, friction and wear, thermal noise and quantumuncertainty. This is the book for starting the next century ofengineering." - Marvin Minsky MIT Science magazine calls Eric Drexler "Mr. Nanotechnology."For years, Drexler has stirred controversy by declaring thatmolecular nanotechnology will bring a sweeping technologicalrevolution - delivering tremendous advances in miniaturization,materials, computers, and manufacturing of all kinds. Now, he'swritten a detailed, top-to-bottom analysis of molecular machinery -how to design it, how to analyze it, and how to build it.Nanosystems is the first scientifically detailed description ofdevelopments that will revolutionize most of the industrialprocesses and products currently in use. This groundbreaking work draws on physics and chemistry toestablish basic concepts and analytical tools. The book thendescribes nanomechanical components, devices, and systems,including parallel computers able to execute 1020 instructions persecond and desktop molecular manufacturing systems able to makesuch products. Via chemical and biochemical techniques, proximalprobe instruments, and software for computer-aided moleculardesign, the book charts a path from present laboratory capabilitiesto advanced molecular manufacturing. Bringing together physics,chemistry, mechanical engineering, and computer science,Nanosystems provides an indispensable introduction to theemerging field of molecular nanotechnology.