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Todd Courtois <rtp@netcom.com> wrote on Thu, Jan 19, 1995

>I'm interested in nanotechnology generally, and I'd like to enroll in a
>graduate program to study/research it. Can anyone provide further
>information on the Rice program (comments? criticism?) or other, similar
>programs (Cornell, for instance?).
>
>Thanks for any help!

A lot of places haven't really worked on molecular nanotechnology, but the idea is growing, and things are changing very much. I suggest three things:

1. Read NANOSYSTEMS (Drexler, 1993). This is the current foundation for work in this area.
2. Apply broadly to different programs, and tell all of them that you want to work in the area outlined in NANOSYSTEMS (assuming this remains true after you read the book).
3. NANOSYSTEMS is all theoretical. Current experimental capabilities are far short of what is expressed in the book. You need to decide do you want to focus your graduate education on theoritical work, which can consider fairly mature nanotechnology, but can't actually do it, or on experimental work, which can actually get physical results today in the real world, but cannot reach nearly as far as the ideas in NANOSYSTEMS. Try to figure out which you would prefer before applying, and say in your applications a) which way you are leaning; and b) how strongly you are leaning.

Basically, I am suggesting a distributed processing system. Rather than trying to get all the information, and figure out where to go on your own, cast your net broadly, and let those who have matching excitement recognize the match. Things are changing so fast, the centralized approach would miss a lot of good opportunities.

Tom McKendree
tmckendree@msmail3.hac.com

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