bible etched onto space less than 1/2 grain of sugar

[texasmom]

very, very cool!

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,318072,00.html

JERUSALEM —  Israeli scientists have inscribed the entire Hebrew text of the Jewish Bible onto a space less than half the size of grain of sugar.

The nanotechnology experts at the Technion institute in Haifa say the text measures less than 0.5 square millimeter (0.01 square inch) surface. They chose the Jewish Bible to highlight how vast quantities of information can be stored in minimum amounts of space.

"It took us about an hour to etch the 300,000 words of the Bible onto a tiny silicon surface," Ohad Zohar, the university's scientific adviser for educational programs, told the Associated Press.

The Technion's microscopic bible was created by blasting tiny particles called gallium ions at an object that then rebounded, causing an etching affect.

"When a particle beam is directed toward a point on the surface, the gold atoms bounce off and expose the silicon layer underneath just like a hammer and chisel," Zohar said.

Zohar said the technology will in the future be used as a way to store vast amounts of data on bio-molecules and DNA.

The tiny Bible appears to be the world's smallest.

[Yeager]

Maybe it will do less damage that way

[Dago]

I thought only lawyers could write that small.

Now, who is going to read it?

[crockett]

Great I think I'll get some little grains of sugar and sell them on e-bay and tell people the whole bible is written on them.  I bet they will sell like hotcakes.

[DieAz]

Holy Sugar!

[eagl]

You know what would be funny?  Finding out 20 years from now that Israel has been engraving the bible on every product they make, except for toilet paper...  Toilet paper gets micro particles engraved with the koran.

Well, funny weird I guess.  The only funny-haha part would be watching the hysterics that would emanate from the radical Islamists and their gullible mobs.

[eagl]

Actually, that would make a hell of a fun rumor...  Some country or another is engraving the koran on all sorts of products like toilet paper, the soles of shoes, those little metal clips that tie off the ends of big pork sausages...  The possibility for hysteria is endless!

[Leslie]

I know this is way out there, but your post got me to thinking.  Please forgive me if this is somewhat off topic Texasmom.  The nanotechnology is truly amazing.

I was wondering about the future applications if a chip this small or smaller could be placed in a human being along with a system whereby the user could retrieve information at will.  Someone thus equipped would have total recall of anything on the chip, such as foreign languages along with a preview option of how to pronounce words, including meanings of colloquialisms and regional idiomatic expressions.  Other uses might include a handy calculator for everyday math problems, a law library with useful basic facts for conducting business, survival tips to cover most emergency situations, phone numbers, birthdays, addresses, etc...  

Information on the chip could include full texts of hundreds of books, paintings to the smallest detail, how-to manuals...you name it.  Not meant to be a replacement for hands-on training and learning, it would be possible to never forget how to do something once you learned the first time.  Algebra, calculus , physics and any science information would be there long as the chip was there and activated.  The system could be turned off as well.

I suppose my question is, would this be a good thing or something that would entail considerable psychological risk to a user?  Would such a chip be too much to handle?  Should there be certain requirements to have one? What if everyone had one?  Would we become dehumanized, soulless robots?  Or would society advance, with fewer avoidable mistakes being made?

Sorry if this sounds bizarre.  It's just a lazy Sunday afternoon here, and I'm babbling on.  I'm sure I'm not the first to think about this idea, but it seems nanotechnology may be bringing it closer to reality.

Here's my take on the idea.  I don't think I would want such a chip.  I'm happy with the challenge of learning and exerting effort to remember what's important.  I believe a memory or knowledge chip would weaken the brain with everyday or prolonged use.  To use an old-timers' term, I would see it as being a crutch.  In my opinion, the only legitimate use would be for space travel, where storage space and communications are limited.



Les

[texasmom]

Les, I was more interested in the nanotechnology piece of that than the subject they chose to engrave as well.

[RightF00T]

Man...I need to invent some glasses that magnify 1 MillionX and then create salt grain size cheat sheets for college exams that can be strategically placed.  Sure I would net billions.

[moot]

Nanomanufacture = instant warbird collection.

[rpm]

There's a joke here about a sailor and a tatoo of a fly, but I refrain in mixed company.

[RTR]

bible etched onto space less than 1/2 grain of sugar

Yep, that's about the size of that.

Glad we got that cleared up.

RTR

As you were ladies and gentlemen.

[Chairboy]

Sure, but what about the diabetics?

[texasmom]

I was thinking it could rekindle the ole 'how many angels fit on the head of a pin' argument.