scientists at UCLA have used a powerful microscope to image the three-dimensional positions of individual atoms to a precision of 19 trillionths of a meter, which is several times smaller than a hydrogen atom.
Their observations make it possible, for the first time, to infer the macroscopic properties of materials based on their structural arrangements of atoms, which will guide how scientists and engineers build aircraft components, for example. The research, led by Jianwei (John) Miao, a UCLA professor of physics and astronomy and a member of UCLA's California NanoSystems Institute, is published Sept. 21 in the online edition of the journal Nature Materials.
One step closer to The Diamond Age.
(Score: 2) by FatPhil on Thursday September 24 2015, @11:52AM
How is completely failing to mention other labs doing this in 25 years ago good journalism?
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IBM scientists discovered how to move and position individual atoms on a metal surface using a scanning tunneling microscope. The technique was demonstrated in April 1990 at IBM's Almaden Research Center in San Jose, Calif., where scientists created the world's first structure: the letters "I-B-M" -- assembled one atom at a time. (VV1003)
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http://www-03.ibm.com/ibm/history/exhibits/vintage/vintage_4506VV1003.html
Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people; the smallest discuss themselves