X-Message-Number: 9257 From: Ralph Merkle <> Subject: PARC Forum on nanotechnology, March 12, 1998 Date: Mon, 9 Mar 1998 10:38:36 PST ---------------- XEROX PARC FORUM ---------------- Thursday, March 12, 1998 4:00-5:00pm George Pake Auditorium Nanotechnology Dr. Ralph Merkle, Xerox Palo Alto Research Center Abstract: Manufactured products are made from atoms. The properties of those products depend on the arrangement of those atoms. Today's manufacturing methods arrange atoms statistically, without control over the placement of individual atoms. Casting, milling, lithography, and other traditional "bulk" manufacturing technologies provide only approximate control over the molecular structure of the material being manufactured. In the future, we will be able to inexpensively manufacture structures in which each individual atom is in its proper place. This will be essential for the manufacture of molecular computers, and will also let us cleanly make diamondoid products of remarkable strength and lightness. This talk will provide a general introduction to the field: where we are, where we're going, and some of the possibilities once we get there. Biography: Dr. Merkle got his Ph.D. from Stanford University in 1979 where he co-invented public key cryptography. He joined Xerox PARC in 1988, where he is pursuing research in computational nanotechnology. He chaired the Fourth and Fifth Foresight Conferences on Nanotechnology and is on the Executive Editorial Board of the journal Nanotechnology. Dr. Merkle has seven patents and has published extensively. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ------ Further information about nanotechnology is available at http://nano.xerox.com/nano. Dr. Merkle's home page is at http://www.merkle.com/. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ------ This Forum is OPEN to the public. Refreshments will be served from 3:45 to 4:00. GOLDEN EAR AWARD: The forum will begin promptly at 4:00. Come a few minutes early, identify the piece being played, and win the Golden Ear Award. The George Pake Auditorium is located at Xerox PARC, 3333 Coyote Hill Road in Palo Alto, off of Page Mill Road. From Page Mill Road, turn South on Foothill Expressway, then right on Hillview, and take the second entrance to the right. Park in the large parking lot and enter the auditorium at the upper level of the building. The auditorium is located to the left of and down the stairs from the main entrance into the visitor's lobby. See also at http://www.parc.xerox.com/images /maptoparc.gif. Forum Coordinator: Paul Stewart () (650)812-4821 Requests for videotapes (for Xerox employees only) should be sent to the PARC Library (, 8*923-4042). PARC Forum External Web address: http://www.parc.xerox.com/forum PARC Forum Internal Web address: http://parcweb.parc.xerox.com/events/forum Upcoming Forums --------------- March 19: TBA March 26: TBA _____________________________________________________ Paul Stewart Xerox PARC (650)812-4821 Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=9257