Week 2, Freewriting #3

-Nanotechnology
These days, engineers are trying to create things faster, cheaper, and most of all SMALLER. This is what the field on Nanotechnology is all about. Creating the devices we use today smaller, while keeping them affordable enough to be practical. Today, the NRI (Nanotechnology Research Initiative) is seeking new ways to change something that has been around for decades. Transistors technology, more specifically CMOS (Complimentary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) is the biggest issue at the NRI. These CMOS transistors are used in almost all electronic devices and creating them smaller is a huge issue because they are so widely used. They have been making several breakthroughs, however the controlling factor is cost. You cant try and produce something that is to expensive that companies cant afford to buy them, and in turn wont be able to sell them because they are to expensive.
-Fiber-optic Technology
Fiber optics use light as the transmission medium to transmit data. Since light is the fastest known thing in this universe, it makes fiber optic technology ideal in areas where speed is desirable. Electric current travels only at fraction of what light travels at, so research is being done to implement this technology for a means of communication. National LambdaRail is currently working on trying to create a nationwide network of these fiber optic networks. This would speed up transmission rates greatly and connect the nation together. These networks are likely to find their way into the commercial sector, specifically in areas such as network management and security. There are many companies that are contributing to this project such as Cisco and L3 communications.