Nano, Bits, and Feynman?s Dream: There?s Plenty of Room at the (Molecular) Bottom

The activity presented here is about an approximate or order-of-magnitude approach to information technology on the nano level, dealing in particular with the genetic code. Based on There's Plenty of Room at the Bottom, the famous and visionary paper by Richard Feynman, the activity provides insight into a core concept of nanoscience and technology (NST): information and the extremely high information density in human DNA as a natural example of a nanostructure. Specifically, students calculate several estimates from Feynman's paper, using elementary knowledge about the chemical structure of DNA and basic mathematics. The activity is appropriate for upper high-school and early undergraduate students and nonmajor courses.

Automated summary

The activity explores an approximate approach to nanotechnology and focuses on the genetic code. It is based on Richard Feynman's paper on the potential of nanoscience and technology, providing insight into the high information density in human DNA. Students utilize basic knowledge about DNA's chemical structure and mathematics to calculate various estimates. This activity is suitable for upper high-school and early undergraduate students, as well as nonmajor courses.