Buckyballs could disrupt functioning of DNA

New Scientist ^ | 12/09/2005 | Kurt Kleiner

[dljordan]

"In the computer game Deus Ex it could be used both ways. The Gray Death nano-virus (central to the game's plot) was actually the same nanites that gave the Dentons their enhanced abilities. The only difference betwen nano-virus and nano augmentation was the propgramming of the nanites themselves."

Pauldentoncheatsenabled

[Vinnie]

There's already science fiction novels suggesting that nanotechnology...

'Prey' by Michael Crichton deals with this.

[manwiththehands]

Hey, this is Christmas.

The season of hope and good cheer and presents and goodwill towards men (except Muslims and DemocRats) and enough "Happy RamaHanuKwanzMas"'s for everyone!

[calex59]

Buckyball, what a scientific name! Makes you wonder doesn't it?

[msf92497]

Be sure to keep your buckyballs away from your nanotube.

[md2576]

Too True!
Merry Christmas!

[Cicero]

That's the nickname. The scientific name is buckminsterfullerenes. According to Wickepedia, "The Fullerenes are a recently discovered allotrope of carbon (the best known being diamond and graphite). They are molecules composed entirely of carbon, taking the form of a hollow sphere, ellipsoid, or tube. Spherical fullerenes are sometimes called buckyballs, while cylindrical fullerenes are called buckytubes or nanotubes."

Actually, I think buckminsterfullerene is reserved for the smallest of these fullerenes, C60. The obvious reason is that they look very much like one of Bucky Fuller's domes.

Here's a picture of fullarene C540:

[Dr. Bogus Pachysandra]

Looks slippery!

[Barnacle]

No wonder my buckyballs have been aching.

[md2576]

The second time?

[pepsi_junkie]

Suppose this is true, but cells cannot be penetrated, thus keeping DNA safe. Suppose then that one were to devise a way to weaken cell membranes of cells selectively, thus allowing one to target specific types of cells to be attacked by buckyballs. And suppose those were cancer cells. Hmmmm.

[The Great RJ]

Can modern day Ned Lude's and an army of tort lawyers be very far off in the nantechnology business?

[Wiz]

nano ping!

[Calvin Locke]

Ah, a "mother-in-law & lobster boat" story. Did you "set'er agin"?

[Mannaggia l'America]

Sounds like it has the potential to be weaponized - a "buckeybomb"!

[Cicero]

Let's not look too closely into the details.

[ImaGraftedBranch]

Of course, it was all BS, and it is a fact that about 80% of all US food is somehow genetically modified.

Can you be sure that the enormous increase in the rate of allergies, asthma, anaphylactic shock, etc., is not due to GM foods?

[AntiGuv]

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[Lazamataz]

We went in to their dock to check our boat out because there was a smell of gasoline. When they pushed us off for the return journey, Bucky reached out and gave the boat a delicate little spin, so as it drifted out from the dock it turned around, and was headed toward the harbor entrance when I started the engine. He clearly had a good spatial sense.

Bucky's got balls.