4
culations based on simpler, mechanical nanocomputers place
a lower bound on what could be achieved. It appears feasible
to build a central processing unit for a computer that occupies
a volume less than 1 cubic micrometer, consumes roughly 0.1
microwatt of power, and executes about 1 billion instructions
per second.
Nanotechnologies based on productive nanosystems will
enable superior molecular-scale sensing and manipulation and
thus allow development of a broad range of novel scientific and
medical instruments. A particularly important goal is to provide
better instrumentation for probing the molecular structure of
cells and providing data regarding structure and function at the
molecular level in a more direct manner than is presently pos-
sible. The application of this knowledge to medicine could en-
able the development of nanoscale medical devices of greater
complexity and capability than modern pharmaceuticals, and
of far greater precision than modern surgical instruments.
Nanotechnology (continued)
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