PowerBlog Review: Nanobot

Editor's note: This is the twenty-third in our popular weekly series of PowerBlog Reviews of other weblogs...



Howard Lovy's Nanobot is the place we go to for "independent nanotechnology information and commentary."



As the title suggests, the weblog is about nanotechnology, a very hot field right now.



Nanotechnology describes science at the molecular level. Materials and substances are made better (stronger, thinner, lighter) through nanotechnology.



Nanotechnology is still a pretty mysterious subject to much of the general public. It has a sci fi air about it, although it is very real and very much part of the here and now.



Howard Lovy, the publisher of Nanobot, de-mystifies nanotechnology. At the same time, he revels in the "gee whiz" aspect of it. And he knows how to use the gee whiz factor to capture his readers' attention, along with some humor and wit thrown in for good measure.



For instance, a recent post entitled "A Night at the Micro Opera" reproduces a photo of an incredibly tiny model of the Sydney Opera House.

"Swinburne University of Technology's Centre for Micro-Photonics constructed a model of the Sydney Opera House. Its dimensions are 64 x 38 x 41 micrometers, (yes, I know; not nano, but cool, anyway). It was built from a hybrid material of glass and polymer. *** What does any of this do to advance the science of nanotechnology? Probably very little. But when it comes to attracting the interest of the general public, you know what they say about that picture/word ratio. The micro opera house was among Yahoo News' most e-mailed photos."

One of the best things about this blog, in my opinion, is the comprehensive list of nanotechnology links and resources down the left sidebar. Nanobot is a great example of how a blog can make itself even more valuable to readers through assembling a great links section focused on a particular subject.



The Power: The Power of Howard Lovy's Nanobot weblog is in the way it brings us up-to-the-minute insights into this developing field of nanotechnology, delivered with wit and a sense of humor -- and the comprehensive set of nanotechnology links.