Extreme Closeup! Ibm Makes 'world's Smallest Movie' Using Atoms (video)

[Jozi]

 

After taking a few shadowy pictures for the scientific world's paparazzi, the atom is now ready for its closeup. Today, a team of IBM scientists are bypassing the big screen to unveil what they call the "world's smallest movie." This atomic motion picture was created with the help of a two-ton IBM-made microscope that operates at a bone-chilling negative 268 degrees Celsius. This hardware was used to control a probe that pulled and arranged atoms for stop-motion shots used in the 242-frame film. A playful spin on microcomputing, the short was made by the same team of IBM eggheads who recently developed the world's smallest magnetic bit. Now that the atom's gone Hollywood, what's next, a molecular entourage?

 

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?list=PLaFe0BJiho2qq6mXkAVKkcki2MEdK_yTW&v=rNf-A3m6HVo&feature=player_embedded

 

 

http://www.engadget.com/2013/05/01/ibm-atomic-movie/

 

[fredey]

That looks awesome

[Uberskills]

wow thats awesome 

[Glenwing]

Oh IBM!

 

*sniffles*

[Purple]

Oh wow, that's pretty neat.

[bradscoolio]

Very cool indeed.

[TechFan@ic]

What's the long term goal for this technology ? what do they want to ultimately accomplish with this ?

[ExDreamer]

I think they doing it just because they can

[L3773R5a]

What's the long term goal for this technology ? what do they want to ultimately accomplish with this ?

 

In the making of the movie video they mention that the whole point of the research is to find a way to apply it to computation and storing data. For storage, they are taking the current implementations of hard disk data storage and how they work (using a magnet to move bits on the platters) and scaling them down incredibly. I think he said that they can accurately control a group of 12 atoms with their magnet, so the 'bits' on the platters would be groups of 12 atoms and i'm assuming depending on their position in a set area or space they could be manipulated and interpreted (written and read) as a '1' or a '0'.

 

Basically the smaller the space that the group of 12 atoms would be manipulated in, the higher the density of storage. So if you were to have the same 3.5" hard discs that we have today implementing this type of technology on the platters then you could millions or billions times larger storage capacities in the same space. He also said "You could probably carry around 2 movies on your phone right now, but in the future with this technology you might be able to carry around all of them" or words to that effect.

 

The size (and i'd assume power) of the magnet they use to move these atoms was huge so the challenge for the researchers is to make a magnet small enough and powerful enough to fit in a practically sized storage device. Have fun guys!

[Ethnod]

amazing

[Bob]

I hope we will have 1k TB thumb drives soon :D