A big check for some tiny tech

"NASA will pay Rice University $11 million over the next four years to develop an experimental power cable made from carbon nanotubes, the agency announced Tuesday.

"Under the agreement with NASA, Rice's Carbon Nanotechnology Laboratory is to produce a 1-meter-long prototype of quantum wire by 2010. To date, scientists have been able to produce wires no longer than several centimeters.

"The cable, also known as a quantum wire, would theoretically conduct electricity up to 10 times better than traditional copper wire and weigh one-sixth as much. Scientists believe quantum wires could make spacecraft much lighter and more powerful, and may lead to faster computers and other commercial applications [not to mention, of course, how the weapons industry might nut up over such technology --Ed.].

"Discovered in 1991, carbon nanotubes are tiny, molecular cylinders formed purely of carbon atoms. They are created by shooting high-powered lasers at a carbon target. Each nanotube is just one nanometer in diameter, or 10,000 times smaller than the width of a human hair.

"Currently only two percent of all nanotubes can be used as quantum wires, and sorting these -- called 'armchair nanotubes' -- from the rest is nearly impossible, according to Richard Smalley, director of the Carbon Nanotechnology Laboratory."

The director of a nanotech lab is named Dr. Smalley?

And what's the connection between nanotubes and Snoop Dogg?