News in a NanoSecond

R&D funding battles begin (EE Times) U.S. engineers and their allies descend on the nation's capital this week to lobby for 'balanced' federal funding for research and development. The two-day lobbying effort that begins Wednesday (March 3) comes against a backdrop of record unemployment among U.S. engineers. ... The Bush administration's fiscal 2005 budget request proposes spending $132 billion next year for basic research. High-profile efforts such as nanotechnology development would receive big increases that would drive annual spending on the technology to $1 billion in 2005. More Nanotube Mix Makes Liquid Crystal (Technology Review) Researchers from the University of Cambridge in England have found that carbon nanotubes can be mixed with a solvent to form a liquid crystal. More Melding of nano, bio, info and cogno opens new legal horizons (Small Times) Is society ready for NBIC? As nano, bio, info and cognitive technology converge, proponents of NBIC (the somewhat clunky acronym for this multitech intersection), are calling for the legal, ethical and regulatory implications to be considered from the beginning. The architect of the National Nanotechnology Initiative says "society needs to be prepared for the major changes to come." More Coating process could revolutionise food packaging (Food Production Daily) Playing by Postmodern Rules (Gateway To Russia) Major breakthrough for cell research (San Mateo County Times) Patent License Agreement Concluded between Sumitomo & NEC Relating to Carbon Nanotube (Japan Corporate News Network) "Blog" as a transitive verb: improper usage? (alt.usage.english) CIA invests in start-ups. The payoff? Technology (USA TODAY) Discuss Advertisement Government Funding Sources for Technology Entrepreneurs with CDROM