Findings and Recommendations - Implications of Emerging Micro-and Nanotechnologies - page 197

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Findings and Recommendations
The committee reached a number of critically important broadly applicable
findings and recommendations, which are presented in the first section of this
chapter. Findings and recommendations related to technological developments in
micro- and nanotechnologies are followed by policy recommendations. Findings
and recommendations are presented in a logical flow. The numbering does not
represent a rank ordering but simply serves as an identifier. In addition, a number
of the committee's more specific findings and recommendations are listed in the
second section of the chapter.
CRITICAL FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Technology
Four overarching themes emerged from the committee's study of the impli-
cations of emerging micro- and nanotechnologies: increased information capa-
bilities, miniaturization, new materials, and increased functionality and autonomy
(T8). The following findings and recommendations attempt to capture the es-
sence of these themes with some specificity. The increased information capabili-
ties flow from near-term continuation of the scaling of silicon electronics (T1)
and from new and alternative concepts arising from nanotechnology research
(T2). Biological science, both as inspiration (biomimetics) and as a functional
contributor, offers new opportunities (T3) that build on and complement tradi-
tional sensing, computing, and communications approaches. Increased informa-
tion capabilities and miniaturization together will make possible large distributed
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