>1) Read NANOSYSTEMS (Drexler, 1993). This is the current foundation for
>work in this area.
An excellent book, although I don't claim to have grasped everything in it.
>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).
Hm, are you referring to specific Nanotech-centered programs? I'm currently struggling with the fact that it's difficult to, say, enter an EE program and specialize in cross-disciplinary molecular nanotechnology. Or, on the other hand, enter a Chemistry, Physics, or Molecular Biology program and get the same cross-disciplinary experience needed to do real work in nanotech.
>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.
I'm definitely more interested in simulation and experimentation. I don't mind the fact that current experimental tools are far short of what's outlined in _Nanosystems_, as long as I can do research that helps make those incremental steps necessary to obtain those more sophisticated tools.
>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.
An excellent suggestion. Right now I looking for programs (1) which specifically focus on Nanotech and (2) will accept me. If I can't find such an arrangement, my backup plan is to find a program (1) which will accept me and (2) has enough flexibility to allow me to explore my areas of interest.
>
>Tom McKendree
>tmckendree@msmail3.hac.com
Thanks for your suggestions!
Todd Courtois