Date: 18-May-93 09:02 PDT From: Ralph Merkle >INTERNET:merkle@parc.xerox.com Subj: Nanosystems Author Named Young Innovator of the Year Sender: nanotech@cs.rutgers.edu Nanosystems Author Named Young Innovator of the Year Summary: ------------------------------------------------------------- DALLAS, May 9, 1993--Nanotechnologist Eric Drexler has won the Kilby Young Innovator Award for 1993. Dr. Drexler founded the field of molecular manufacturing--the emerging ability to build structures with ultimate, atomic-level precision. His book Nanosystems was recently named best computer science book of the year. Drexler's doctorate, from MIT, is the first ever granted in the field. ------------------------------------------------------------- Main text: DALLAS, May 9, 1993--Nanotechnologist Eric Drexler has won the Kilby Young Innovator Award for 1993. Presented on May 8 in Dallas at a black-tie event attended by 500 business and technology leaders, the award was given to Dr. Drexler to recognize his work in the field of molecular manufacturing. The award is named in honor of Jack St. Clair Kilby, Press for more: s inventor of the integrated circuit, who presented it in person. Dr. K. Eric Drexler, senior research fellow at the Institute for Molecular Manufacturing in Palo Alto, California, founded the field of molecular nanotechnology (also termed molecular manufacturing). Molecular manufacturing is the emerging ability to build structures with atomic precision: cleanly and economically. This technology promises to revolutionize many industries, from manufacturing to computation. Dr. Drexler, 38, authored Nanosystems: Molecular Machinery, Manufacturing, and Computation (Wiley Interscience, 1992), the first book to present the scientific basis for the field, from its theoretical foundations to its applications in computation and atomically-precise manufacturing. Nanosystems recently was named the outstanding computer science book of 1992 by the Association of American Publishers. "With this book, Drexler has established the field of molecular nanotechnology." --William Goddard Professor of Chemistry and Applied Physics at Caltech "This is the book for starting the next century of engineering." --Prof. Marvin Minsky of MIT "We believe this work to be of fundamental importance, leading to major benefits in manufacturing, the economy, and the environment. It's gratifying to see IMM's lead researcher being recognized at the national level." --Neil Jacobstein IMM board member President, Cimflex Teknowledge Dr. Drexler did his doctoral work at MIT, earning the first Ph.D. granted in the field of molecular nanotechnology. He also taught the first university course in nanotechnology (at Stanford in 1988) and has chaired the first conference series, including this fall's event focusing on computational nanotechnology: using computers to speed nanotechnology development. Dr. Drexler's work is funded by the Institute for Molecular Manufacturing (Palo Alto, Calif.), a nonprofit research institute promoting this research toward environmentally-sound, efficient manufacturing. IMM Executive Director Kathleen Shatter states "Our goal is to be a center of excellence for R&D in molecular manufacturing. This award will gain attention for our goal, just as Nanosystems itself will enable many more reseachers to move into this field." Interest in these topics is increasing both inside and outside the U.S. In Japan, the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MITI) has announced a ten-year, $200 million project which includes the goal of building structures with atomic precision. Forty-six companies are assisting in the project, some based in the U.S. including Texas Instruments, the company at which Jack Kilby invented the integrated circuit. For more information on Dr. Drexler and his work, contact Kathleen Shatter at the Institute for Molecular Manufacturing, 415-852-1244. For more information on the Kilby Award Foundation, contact 214-448-7261. Read action !