In DNA, Scientists Find Solution To Building Superconductor That Could Transform Technology (phys.org) 52
An anonymous reader quotes a report from Phys.Org: Scientists at the University of Virginia School of Medicine and their collaborators have used DNA to overcome a nearly insurmountable obstacle to engineer materials that would revolutionize electronics. One possible outcome of such engineered materials could be superconductors, which have zero electrical resistance, allowing electrons to flow unimpeded. That means that they don't lose energy and don't create heat, unlike current means of electrical transmission. Development of a superconductor that could be used widely at room temperature -- instead of at extremely high or low temperatures, as is now possible -- could lead to hyper-fast computers, shrink the size of electronic devices, allow high-speed trains to float on magnets and slash energy use, among other benefits.
One such superconductor was first proposed more than 50 years ago by Stanford physicist William A. Little. [...] One possible way to realize Little's idea for a superconductor is to modify lattices of carbon nanotubes, hollow cylinders of carbon so tiny they must be measured in nanometers -- billionths of a meter. But there was a huge challenge: controlling chemical reactions along the nanotubes so that the lattice could be assembled as precisely as needed and function as intended.
[Edward H. Egelman, Ph.D., of UVA's Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics] and his collaborators found an answer in the very building blocks of life. They took DNA, the genetic material that tells living cells how to operate, and used it to guide a chemical reaction that would overcome the great barrier to Little's superconductor. In short, they used chemistry to perform astonishingly precise structural engineering -- construction at the level of individual molecules. The result was a lattice of carbon nanotubes assembled as needed for Little's room-temperature superconductor. [...] The lattice they built has not been tested for superconductivity, for now, but it offers proof of principle and has great potential for the future, the researchers say. The findings have been published in the journal Science.
One such superconductor was first proposed more than 50 years ago by Stanford physicist William A. Little. [...] One possible way to realize Little's idea for a superconductor is to modify lattices of carbon nanotubes, hollow cylinders of carbon so tiny they must be measured in nanometers -- billionths of a meter. But there was a huge challenge: controlling chemical reactions along the nanotubes so that the lattice could be assembled as precisely as needed and function as intended.
[Edward H. Egelman, Ph.D., of UVA's Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics] and his collaborators found an answer in the very building blocks of life. They took DNA, the genetic material that tells living cells how to operate, and used it to guide a chemical reaction that would overcome the great barrier to Little's superconductor. In short, they used chemistry to perform astonishingly precise structural engineering -- construction at the level of individual molecules. The result was a lattice of carbon nanotubes assembled as needed for Little's room-temperature superconductor. [...] The lattice they built has not been tested for superconductivity, for now, but it offers proof of principle and has great potential for the future, the researchers say. The findings have been published in the journal Science.
Re:Fruits of Asclepius' rod. (Score:4, Funny)
Douglas Noel Adams did it first (Score:2)
A computer of such infinite and subtle complexity that organic life itself shall form part of its operational matrix
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My thoughts when I read the abstract were along the lines of "other" uses of nano-tube construction methods
I for one, look forward to them pre-announcing the construction of a nano-tube cable, which would be capable of hoisting a space-elevator into orbit
As long as you are pre-announcing, why go small?
Not yet tested (Score:2)
Those darn tests always get in the way!
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Testing Shmesting, just move fast & break things. Our customers are also our beta testers...okay, alpha testers.
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For the most part, you don't test dams. You just have to over-design, then pray they are able to hold all the water, and spill any possible amount of excess.
Re:Not yet tested (Score:5, Interesting)
In other news, If I stir my banana muffin batter counterclockwise instead of clockwise, I can make superconducting banana muffins.
Superconductors are awesome and I am going to write 90% of my article describing how awesome they are, because that's the newsworthy thing here.
I'm just waiting on test results to let you know how the superconducting muffins turn out.
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Everyone knows to make superconducting banana muffins you stir so the leading edge of a 4 dimensional spoon traces a mobius in the banana/flour matrix.
Everyone knows there is no spoon, so electricity has a super clear pathway and the resistivity drops to almost zero...
Precise nano-manufacturing may (Score:2)
be the next industrial revolution. If they build nanobots to periodically repair our DNA, we could perhaps live forever -- for good or bad.
Re:Precise nano-manufacturing may (Score:4, Interesting)
I'd like to live just long enough to see if humanity manages to pull their collective heads out of their equally collective asses.
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Yeah, sorry for the double post here but... Yeah, I really don't think that's going to happen any time soon so if I had those little nanomachines repairing my DNA, I'd be around for a damned long time.
Re: Precise nano-manufacturing may (Score:2)
I pretty much agree with you but also such a revolution in tech could likely allow us to ignore many problems.
All that pesky CO2, just modify our metabolisms to utilize it instead of have it as a waste product. Global warming leads to a new ice Age, modify us to have an exoskeleton or lots of fur...
This new sci-fi film Crimes of The Future gets into just how bad things could get. One of the freakiest sci-fi I had seen in a long time.
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All that pesky CO2, just modify our metabolisms to utilize it instead of have it as a waste product.
For sufficiently large values of "just."
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Sounds good to me.
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I'd like to live just long enough to see if humanity manages to pull their collective heads out of their equally collective asses.
Be careful what you ask for. You may well get it, and odds are the answer is going to be "no". Do you really want to be here for that?
Re: (Score:2)
Nope, we'll just have zombie jerks instead of mortal jerks.
Re:Precise nano-manufacturing may (Score:4, Interesting)
I'm kinda torn. On one hand, it would mean we won't even get rid of the most annoying human beings by virtue of natural death because they would be the ones that can actually afford such a procedure. On ther other hand, these individuals would finally have a reason to not FUBAR the planet in the quest for another million because they still need it 20 years down the line.
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It's way more likely that we will just destroy ourselves with it than that we will positively transform humanity. There's plenty of danger scenarios more plausible than grey goo, but no less deadly.
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The problem is that most jerks don't and perhaps can't think long-term. Maybe fix their long-term lobe while fixing their DNA.
Unlikely (Score:2)
DNA has little to do with normal aging. In fact corrupted DNA rarely has anything to do with it as its usual effect if apoptosis fails is cancer so perhaps it may help with that.
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> You sure you really want assholes like Trump or McConnell or Cruz or DeSantis to live forever?
Sure, watching them lose over and over never gets old!
Hope your factory doesn't get cancer! (Score:2)
Kudos to the cool discovery, but I will be amazed if it leads to a new era of superconductor nanowire in my lifetime...looking forward to being proven wrong, science!!!
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Most of my friends and family have DNA
You mean, not all?
That was the intended joke (Score:2)
Most of my friends and family have DNA
You mean, not all?
I guess if you have to explain, it wasn't very funny. :(
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They're using the DNA as a manufacturing tool, not as the product.
And how is DNA Made? (Score:2)
They're using the DNA as a manufacturing tool, not as the product.
And how are they going to make complex DNA sequences? I'll bet it's not through organic chemistry.
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Making custom DNA sequences is a solved problem. You can buy a machine that sits on your desk and does it, or upload your desired sequence to a manufacturer's website and they'll FedEx you a vial.
frog dna can do anything to fill in the gaps! (Score:4, Funny)
frog dna can do anything to fill in the gaps!
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It's frog DNA... I know this!
QAnon Science Journalism (Score:3)
So this is (Score:2)
How do you go from... (Score:4, Insightful)
to
"The lattice they built has not been tested for superconductivity, for now, but it offers proof of principle and has great potential for the future, the researchers say." ?
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Solution found! #SolutionNotFound (Score:3)
Come on /.
Click-bait titles are so 2020
Superconductivity... (Score:2)
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The either they heard about room temperature high pressure superconductors, or interpreted "high temperature" incorrectly.
Wake me when... (Score:2)
Grr. Stop the clickbait headlines. (Score:5, Informative)
Don't forget about the "Pais Effect" patents (Score:2)
and patent applications assigned to the US Navy by inventor Salvatore Pais. An application entitled "PIEZOELECTRICITY_INDUCED ROOM TEMPERATURE SUPERCONDUCTOR can be found here: https://patents.google.com/pat... [google.com]
Not Superconducting? (Score:1)
Re: Not Superconducting? (Score:1)
Could (Score:2)
How to save time: Any article with a headline that includes the word "could" means "won't" and can be safely skipped with no loss.
G.O.A.T. (Score:2)
There.