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Does anyone know anything about any molecular machine that clenses water? Water contamination is a huge world problem in many contries. It could also be helpful in developing countries as well.

Developing Countries

Molecular machines seem like a very viable resource to help developing countries because of all the possibilities that exist with molecular machines. If we could harness their power, diseases that decimate countries, like malaria and sleeping sickness, would no longer be a problem and those countries would be be able to flourish without worrying about these diseases. Currently, the people in these countries have essentially no chance of prospering in life because of these diseases and molecular machines could change their entire way of life.

Molecular Machines

Recently, light has been able to induce mechanical work from a single molecule for the first time ever. Scientists in Munich, Germany made a polymer molecule stretch and contract upon the addition of light, and measured the amount of movement with a cantilever. They suspect that this type of mechanical energy may be helpful in the future to power something as small as a battery, yet have dreams of powering larger things. The molecule reportedly streched a distance of 1.4 nm. The affects of the light on the molecule are relative to the wavelength of the light. The process is not yet efficient, nor is it used in devices. However, one day it may play a large role in worldwide energy production.

molecular machine

A molecular machine that we have not mentioned or discussed in class is the dynein. It is a motor protein like kinesin that converts chemical energy contained in ATP and turns it into mechanical energy of movement. It walks along cytoskeleton microtubules transporting cellular "cargo" to the minus end of the microtubule whereas kinesin walks to the plus end of the microtubule.

I would have to say that my favorite molecular machine is the cilia that all cells possess. I find it amazing that all those tiny microtubules can help the cell to move about.

In recent studies at Purdue Universtiy, researches have found that molecular machines could be used to treat diseases. For example, molecular machines could be used to treat cancer and HIV. The researches will watch to see how the molecular machines bind and interact with other molecules. Eventually, they may be able to manipulate the machine so that it can remove the "malfunctioning gene." These molecular machines are called Group 1 introns. I think these molecular machines are particularly interesting since they can be used to treat diseases that affect a huge percent of the population.

Machines and Consciousness

During our discussion of whether machines can ever have consciousness several people referenced an entities ability to pursue its own free will. Frank Sudia, a San Francisco-based e-commerce security consultant, presents a different point of view saying that machines will never "be" as we are. He says, "The ability to make and act on one or more choices out of multiple options, and the ability to decide which of thousands of possibilities is the best one to use in an unforeseen situation, may be a basic, working definition of what it means to "be."

"If the machine has the power of self-production -- if it can seek its own goals or even pick its own goals from some list of goals it reads about in the newspaper [and decides], 'Oh, I want to look like Madonna,' -- I think that this ability to choose, guided however it might be, is indistinguishable from what we consider to be our sense of self."

Glycine

My favorite amino acid is glycine, because it is the smallest amino acid with no side chain. It is also very flexible.

Apollo grows diamonds

The company Apollo has successfully grown diamonds. I havent looked too far into it yet but molecular machines are definitely involved. Check it out. http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/techinnovations/2005-10-06-man-made-diamonds_x.htm

Favorite Amino Acid

My favorite amino acid is phenylalanine, and the molecular machine I am relating it too is phenylalanine hydroxylase. I picked phenylalanine because of the detrimental effect it can have on the body if the body cannot produce the enzyme phenylalanine hydroxylase. If the enzyme doesnt break phenylalanine down into tyrosine the phenylalanine will build up and decrease the functionality of the brain to the point of mental retardation if phenylalanine continues to be introduced to the body.

My favorite amino acids

I would have to say that my favorite amino acid is tryptophan, the amino acid in turkey that makes people sleepy. I really enjoy turkey and Thanksgiving and I like to sleep.

Amino acids

I think my favorite amino acid has to be glycine. It is an essential neurotransmiter mainly found in the spinal cord that helps transmit signals and attach them to the appropriate sites, and I am very thankful for the ability glycine gives me as part of a molecular machine to perform the tasks that I need to in my life.

Machines and Consciousness

Adam Oliner of MIT has some interesting ideas on machines and consciousness; instead of discussing whether or not machines could possibly become conscious, he wonders if we would be able to tell whether or not they were conscious. He mentions a controversial "Turing Test" which would supposedly be the authority on if a machine possessed consciousness, but it seems a bit quaint and simple. The problem, therein, lies not with machines developing consciousness, but in our ability to recognize that consciousness and in our definition of consciousness. Oliner seems to feel that machines with consciousness is possible if we only had a concrete and consistent definition of what it means to be conscious. (http://adam.oliner.net/comp/consciousness.html#machineturing)

Can "brains" be manufactured?

I was searching for technology and applications with "artificial intelligence" and discovered the ASIMO (Advanced Step in Innovative Mobility). It first attracted my attention because I remember watching the South Park show where Cartman dressed up as the "Awesome-o- 2000", which was a hilarious episode. However, in reality the ASIMO is a humanoid robot developed in 2002 by the Honda Motor Co. and was debued in February for its artificial intelligence capabilities and advanced human interaction. ASIMO can run on smooth and rough surfaces up to 4 mph, maneuver a cart using pressure sensors on its wrists, including changing direction and speed control, and it can climb stairs. However, the artificial intelligence factor in this robot lies in its capability to interact with its environment through visual sensors. It has sensors all over its body, including camera sensor in its head that allows it to receive and hand objects to humans as well as walk alongside a human with syncronized motion, much like two best friends taking a walk together.
The one thing that the ASIMO is missing is reasoning and a level of understanding. This is where AI is trying to develop machines on the basis of a "frame" understanding. A frame can be defined as a common situation, such as sitting in a living room with your family. Within a certain frame there will be associated reactions, knowledge and behavior that the machine can utilize to communicate properly. This is similar to humanity's frame of social etiquette. We yell and scream at basketball games, but in the classroom we are quiet. Everything is connected by a visual realization through a sensor (eyes) and a link to the knowledge about that situation (brain). From this perspective, i believe we are well on our way to discovering the manufactured brain. Of course, this gets way more complicated, but this is a sensible beginning toward the development of artificial logic.

whether machines will ever have consciousness...

Experts are concerned about the continuing advancement of machines that they will be superior to our own species. Machines are used to simplify our lives. Through the programming of a computer inside of a machine, we can construct machine to do just that. A machine could potentially have a “conscious”, if we wanted it to. If simplifying our lives means building a machine that could solve our problems, “because machine-made decisions will bring better results than man-made ones,” then we could potentially give the reigns to a machine that will have the consciousness to make our decisions and solve our problems (Joy).

The fear that “we will gradually replace ourselves with our robotic technology, achieving near immortality by downloading our consciousnesses” should not be as overstated as some Luddites and science fiction writers imagine will happen. Scientists and programmers have control over what they can train machines to do, but only if they can manage to predict and prepare for what could go wrong. As seen with the use of antibiotics and rapid mutations of viruses, scientist cannot always predict all that can go wrong (Joy).

Therefore, because of the fear that we will end up competing with machines or heavily relying on machines to the point of life-or-death dependence, these machines with a consciousness could be but probably won’t be built. Science will not build a machine that have a conscious that is more advanced than our own, because after all, the goal of science and technology is for beneficial purposes, to simplify, and not complicate our lives.

molecular rotation engine

This molecular machine is based on the idea that the molecules that make a muscle pull (myosin) can be constructed around and made to attach and twist an inner cylinder relative to an outer cylinder. The speed of the rotation is controlled by ATP concentration within the area of the molecules driving the motion. The inner cylinder can then be attached to a gear, and that gear can be used to drive a machine. This molecular machine would be to generate some sort of kinetic power for a greater purpose in a molecular machine using only sugars. It could also be used as a sensor for internal conditions of a cell.
Diagram at: http://www.ccrnp.ncifcrf.gov/~toms/patent/molecularrotationengine/

GOO

It would be foolish for humans to create something that is more intelligent than we are as humans. This would knock us off the top of the food chain being that intelligence is arguably our most valuable characteristic.

Humans vs. Machines

By looking at the processes that occur between cells, it seems as though humans are in fact comparable to machines. Organelles within each cell work like machine by repeating task upon task and doing their role in the cell as a whole, whether it be replicating DNA, making proteins, packaging vesicles, etc. Aggregates of cells replicate and form tissues, further organizing the cells and the machinery within the cell. This organization is specific, according to the coding of the cell’s DNA. With one more level of organization, these tissues form organs such as the heart, lungs, stomach, and brain, which carry out even further complex tasks such as circulation, respiration, digestion, and cognition. The human body encompasses all these machines as if it were a factory full of machines. But what is a factory without a manager or president? The best example I thought of was patient who is in a coma. Although the body’s machines still function, there is a lack of interaction between the patient and other humans or with the outside. This ability of humans to perceive, interact, learn, and explore the world around us is what ultimately distinguishes us from a machine.

I do not think that humans are just simply machines. We may be made up of some machines but the fact that we react to things like signals in the brains and how we have the ability to express emotions and to think freely seperates us from the programability of machines.

Humans as Machines

I find it difficult to categorize humans as machines, even though is pretty hard to argue that we aren't made up of countless tiny machines inside our bodies. I can't claim ignorance after learning a little bit about molecular machines but I just can't take that leap of faith (or lack thereof) and say that humans are just machines. There's something that sets us apart from every other animal, cell, plant, etc. but it's hard to determine what that is exactly. It could be our ability to make rational decisions, to learn, to think for ourselves, our free will- I don't really know, but, as far as I'm concerned, humans aren't machines.

dangers of nanotechnology

http://www.crnano.org/dangers.htm This site expresses some serious concerns about using nanotechnology to its apparent potential, including grey goo. Enjoy.

humans sure are machines

Yes, everyone already knows what I think about the topic. How could humans not be machines? What more are we than a series of increasingly complex machines, moving up from molecular machines such as kinesins, to organelles, to cells, to tissues, to organs, to systems, to organisms? As far as I can tell, every contribution of every system can be traced directly to a drive to maintain the species. Some seem more clouded than others, such as the deeper emotion of love, but I maintain that love is a further mechanism for survival. This is not to say that I do not recognize the inhherent beauty and sacredness to such emotions, but I believe they can all be traced to a deeper need for survival and proliferation of the species. Apparently, love works, and contributes to the extreme dominance of our species.

I think that humans must be more than molecular machines since we have free will and the ability to make choices. If we are just machines then every person would have the same reaction to an object or a situation. I just think that there must be something more to us.

Human Machines

In terms of determining if humans are machines or not it is important to realize that the concept of machines was created by humans, so therefore despite my support of humans being machines in class it would seem impossible that we are machines in the sense humans think of machines. Machines are manufactured and unintelligent objects used to for the benefit of mankind. So semantically speaking we are not machines. On the other hand there is a certain logic that leads to us possibly being considered machines. The fact that we have numerous parts working together to reach the goal of survival, we are just machines tooled for survival. All animals are like this, some being better or worse at survival, making them more or less efficient machines.

Are Humans Machines?

I do not think that humans are machines. There are definitely individual parts of us, such as our livers and kidneys and other body parts that work as machines, but we are not solely machines. Most machines are meant to perform a single task, or even a couple tasks, but we are not programmed to only do specific things. Ask humans grow they learn new things and their abilities change, we also have free will. Machines don't have free will, they only do what they were made to do.

human machines?

Most people think of machines as manmade creations lacking the abilitiy to feel and think for themselves, only capable of doing what they are designed to do by their creators. As human beings we differ; we make decisions based upon our best interests. Often we are told what to do, through school, our jobs, religion and even family life, yet we have the gift of free will to do what makes us truly happy.

By definition we are machines. It is arguable that our designed function is to reproduce and carry on humanity and do nothing more, but really there is much more to our lives. Without emotions like love, happiness and even sadness there would no point in having children. We have children to love them, to give them happiness, and to gain happiness; this is where we differ from a conventional machine. We understand the true objective of life: happiness. Mechanical and molecular machines can not achieve this understanding.

Humans as Machines?

I believe that we, as humans, are neither entire not machines, or one hundred percent machines. I do believe that there are parts of us that are strictly machines, such as the digestive system and other autonomical systems. However, I believe, as many others in the class said, that there are things about us that are not machines. Machines only have one purpose, to do whatever thye are programmed for, and do it as efficiently and as fast as possible. Clearly, the human race has had its setbacks and have not always chosen the most efficient way of doing things. Also, some people mentioned free-will and art and other things that are not necessary to sustain life, that we have created as a people. I would agree with this, in saying that those types of things are only created from humans who think outside the box, and as a result create things such as art and philosphy.

Mean lean human machine

The human body is comparable to a machine in that the parts are segregated mechanistically for specific purposes, including the autonomic and somatic nervous systems. All parts of the body work together, much like the wheels in a clock in that every part must function properly in order for the machine to achieve its purpose, which in this case is the replication of DNA and the propagation of a species. Like all machines, the human body requires "fuel" in order to function. The fuel of our bodies is of course, the food and oxygen we consume. In a sense, the fundamental requirements of a human are strictly mechanical. Like a broken-down car on the side of the road, the depletion of the energy source leaves the human body unable to function. I personally don't like being compared to my laptop, so I tend to lean toward the brain and emotions as the separation factors between Man and machine. However, the brain is even subdivided, with each section having specific functions. The brain has receptors that regulate every single action in the body, including our emotions. So it is possible that when we are displaying emotion a portion of our brain is performing its mechanical duty in response to an outside stimulus. The same is true for learning. Our brains are programmed to learn. I guess the only question I have out of all of this is, how are we so intricatlely programmed?

Previous discussion blog

I think that we as humans are not just simply machines. We're made up of machines which science continues to prove year by year. However, the purpose of those machines is what makes humans more than a machine-free will. To me the machines that make up our body are meant to be used under our will not just simply for survival. I just feel there is more to human beings than just machines.

Both videos were interesting to watch. Seeing everything animated made it easier to understand what was going on, but at the same time the vocabulary in the second video made it a little hard to follow. I liked how they linked everything together so that someone watching the video would be able to clearly see how one thing was related to another. Overall I would say that they were both informative, even though I did not understand everything.

video blog

I thought the videos were fantastic. The animation seemed unbelievably precise and advanced. I didn't know that so much was known about the various molecular machines in the cell. I was especially impressed by the animation for the construction and demolition of the microtubules. The kinesins were fantastically represented as well.

The videos seemed interesting although some of the vocabulary was a bit over my head. Although I couldn't grasp exactly what was going on I was impressed by the overall nature of the cell. It seems each molecular machine inside the cell has a life of its own. The cell is really an amazing thing and the video showed its complexities well.

After watching those videos, I saw that the animation was cool but didn't quite follow the rest of it. The narrator used way too many big vocabulary words for me to actually understand fully what was going on, but I kind of grasped the basics.

video molecular blah

I thought the videos were extremely interesting. My favorite part was definitely the mitochondria. I had no idea they traveled along the microtubules with the "millipede-like" leg features, while at the same time moving like an inch-worm. Moreover, I like how they represented the nuclear pore as a passageway that allows only the necessary molecules to pass. That portion of the video reminded me of one of the sci-fi films where you see the space shuttles docking in the crazy alien space cities. ANYWAY, on the note of mitosis and cell replication, I really enjoyed the description of how the DNA is bundled into chromosomes. I had no idea that there were meters of DNA in a single chromatid. From previous studies, I knew that a group of two chromosomes were joined at the centrosome and were eventually pulled apart by the attachment of the microtubules to the kinetochores (sp?). However, this video was the first helpful illustration of the process that I have ever seen. Overall, the videos were impressive.

I didn't really understand much of either video. In the first one, some narration could have helped and in the second, the narrator used a lot of vocabulary I didn't recognize. I did notice some of the things from the videos we watched during class, but that was pretty much the extent of my understanding.

Videos

I liked both of the videos. Most of the information was review, but some of it was also new. The ability of the creators to make the microscopic scale come alive is very impressive.

I thought that the videos were extremely informative. Although I was already aware that life does exist on such a small scale, it is a difficult thing to comprehend. The visual aid of the videos helped me to grasp the concept of life on a molecular level. One thing that really amazed me and stuck out in my mind was the clip about the propeller on the end of the cell. It is astonishing that such a small machine exists on such a small scale and even more incredible how efficient it is.

Videos

Unfortunately, I was unable to get sound to work with the videos, but I was still able to understand certain parts from previous knowledge, especially in the second video. I found the videos to be very detailed which allowed them to show how tangiable the events occuring are. This is important because I feel it can be very easy to ignore the fact that microscopic interactions occur because of precise reasons involving specific mechanisms in a real setting; it's not just theoretical.

Both videos were very informative; the short one with music reminded me of scenes from the movie "What the Bleep Do We Know". The animation was fantastic, and it always helps to have a visual to go along with such complicated information. I really enjoyed the cargo vessels that were moving along the tracks ofmicrotubules because that was not how I would have pictured it happening if I had only heard the narration. The lipid rafts on the outer leaflet of the lipidbilayer were also very interesting looking. The videos were a great introduction into the tiny world of molecular machines, and I find it incredible that all of these processes can occur. All in all, the videos were not only educational, but also very intriguing thanks to amazinganimation.

Visuals are definitely useful as a learning aid. I've never seen a video of the cell that was so detailed and animated. The video was able to cover many of the complex processes that occur within a single cell, covering topics from how leukocytes move to membrane composition to nuclear pores. Through watching the video, I learned that mitochondria's shape is influenced by its interaction with microtubules. Further empasized was the many roles of proteins in the cell. The video accurately depicted that biological molecules are comparable to infinitesimal machines.

First off, I was amazed at the animation used in the videos. Its incredible to me how so many processes go on in such a small space that is invisible to the human eye. I thought the videos were very informative and complicated at times with so many names and words thrown around. Yet, the animation of each individual machine inside of the cell helped me to understand the words spoken in the video through visualization.

Blog #1

I thought that the videos did a really good job of taking the small-sized world of cells and making it into something else that everyone in the class could understand. Although at time it is confusing to think of the Mitochondria and cell membranes as molecular machines, at times it can make the difficulty of the subject easier to understand. The movie's animation and computer graphics really made it easy to see the microscopic parts of the cell, and to see them move and interact, atleast for myself, I was able to really grasp the material.

Welcome to our class blog!

On these pages, you'll find posts from 15 intrepid Wake Forest students learning how to harness life's molecular machines in order to enable cool technology--from AIDS tests to hydrogen cars.

I thought that the videos were very interesting because it is fascinating that so many complex processes are taking place in each cell of our bodies. Furthermore, I never realized that cholesterol played a role in the fluidity of the lipid bilayer of the cellular membrane. Also, I have only studied actin in reference to muscle contraction so it was interesting to find that actin is used in other cells of the body.