July 24, 2004: Nanomaterials - Dr. Bart Kosko

Dr. Bart Kosko, a USC electrical engineering professor, joins Art Bell to discuss nanomaterials, carbon nanotubes, nanotechnology, fuzzy logic, and military applications after a strange-news opening. Art opens with mysterious satellite photographs showing unexplained lights in the Sea of Japan rivaling the brightness of Tokyo, a translated Pravda article describing alleged time travel experiments at the South Pole, and new data from European satellites confirming that massive rogue waves previously dismissed as myth are far more common than scientists believed.

Kosko explains carbon nanotubes, structures made of hexagonal carbon atoms roughly one hundred thousandth the width of a human hair, that possess extraordinary strength and conductivity. Kosko describes his research modeling the effects of bullet impacts on body armor and discusses the concept of intelligent materials that respond to environmental changes, including shear thickening fluids that harden on impact.

The discussion turns to nanotechnology's potential for both creation and destruction. Kosko addresses the grey goo scenario, programmable matter, and the intersection of nanotech with military applications. He also critiques government restrictions on cloning and stem cell research, arguing that religious opposition to scientific progress represents a strategic mistake for the United States.