Some people say nanotechnology is not achievable. But it already exists - biology is nanotechnology. The bacterial flagellar motor is a perfect example. It’s a biological nanomachine, only a few dozen nanometers across, built from precisely arranged proteins that form a rotary engine. It can spin at up to 100,000 revolutions per minute, powered by ion gradients across the bacterial membrane, just like an electric motor powered by voltage. It even has equivalents of a rotor, stator, bearing, and drive shaft, all self assembled from molecular components. With the help of AI, we’ll reach that level soon.
Above is a bacterial flagellar motor. Below is a quantum computer. Do with this what you want.

Oct 24, 2025 · 10:54 AM UTC

Replying to @Dr_Singularity
Looks like a quantum computer
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Replying to @Dr_Singularity
Direct conversion. The motor runs on proton flow across the membrane. Ion flux drives conformational changes in stator proteins, converting electrochemical gradient into mechanical torque.
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Replying to @Dr_Singularity
Thought this was crochet at first glance
Replying to @Dr_Singularity
When I was in high school, I learned ATP was just cell energy. Cells have turbines smaller than a virus.... literally a turbine-shaped structure. Its tiny rotor spins relentlessly, turning ion flows into ATP like a molecular engine, with stalks, bearings, and wheels.💀
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Replying to @Dr_Singularity
It's always turbines. I'm tired boss.
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Replying to @Dr_Singularity
A Formula 1 engine redlines at 15,000 RPM. This thing does 100,000. Nature's had a 3.8 billion year R&D cycle.
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Replying to @Dr_Singularity
We are the machines. The BBC documentary "Our Secret Universe: The Hidden Life of the Cell" illustrates this perfectly
Replying to @Dr_Singularity
Ya this naturally happened lol. Take a jug of slime and a couple of billion years.
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Replying to @Dr_Singularity
Biology 101. Welcome to the deepest of rabbit holes.
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Replying to @Dr_Singularity
I've been waiting to see some progress in nanotech from AI. Back in the early 2000s, I would've always thought nanotech would come before AI. That turned out to be the other way around. There is much progress in AI, but you don't hear from nanotech so much. I have no doubt that, once AI gets to a certain level, it could invent advanced nanotech quite quickly. We might have a nanofactory before 2030.
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Replying to @Dr_Singularity
Yes, and I’m sure you think all that complex cellular machinery just arose by chance, just a roll of the dice. Like any complex machinery. Right?
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Replying to @Dr_Singularity
Synthetic biology is the road to nanotechnology
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Replying to @Dr_Singularity
It shows we are not really intelligent or even conscious, we’re just bringing the same solutions to a larger scale, it’s blind nature that comes up with it all.
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Replying to @Dr_Singularity
CheY is a signaling molecule. In the presence of a repellant, CheY gets phosphorylated (CheY-P) and diffuses in the cytoplasm until it binds to the C-ring, which reverses the direction of rotation. Once its job is done, it dephosphorylates, and CheY detaches and diffuses again.
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Replying to @Dr_Singularity
The part that amazes me is that the human body can function on soo few calories, moving 180lbs around somewhat effortlessly for hours --- compared to the amount of watts you would need for a robot with high-performance "brain". 860 Calories == 1 KW/hour.
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Replying to @Dr_Singularity
Personally Im starting to think of nanotechnology as less about tiny metallic machines and more in line with our own biology. AI is developing so quickly in the bio fields. We might just build DNA and proteins that create life to do what we want. Like advanced white blood cells.
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Replying to @Dr_Singularity
Incidentally, some (and Vance is likely one of them) mistake the quantum computer's cooling system (essential for maintaining quantum coherence) with the quantum computer itself. Quantum computing in done below the lowest part of the cooling system. analogictips.com/why-use-att…
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Replying to @Dr_Singularity
Every time I look at plants, I see code. Leaves literally follow logic: if signal present → stop, if gone → grow. It’s like nature’s running open source software. AI might be the first to read the code behind life.
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Replying to @Dr_Singularity
My favorite part is how it can go in reverse. Not by just spinning the other way, but by switching gears.
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Replying to @Dr_Singularity
Type 3 Secretion System is peak quaternary structure.
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Replying to @Dr_Singularity
Exactly! Nature already mastered nanotech AI will just help us catch up.
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Replying to @Dr_Singularity
Proof of God's INTELLIGENT design. Until "intelligent" beings beat it... we're this guy!
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Replying to @Dr_Singularity
Yes. There is no reason to reinvent the wheel. But there are some major risks if we develop self replicating machines that wont stop replicating.
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Replying to @Dr_Singularity
Totally. An oak tree growing out of a tiny oak is another great example. (It runs on solar, all by itself).
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Replying to @Dr_Singularity
Before we compare biology to modern technology let’s talk about efficiency. If you scaled this up to match a state of the art induction motor how does efficiency conpare?
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Replying to @Dr_Singularity
That’s someone’s grandma’s latest crochet project 🧶
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Replying to @Dr_Singularity
Nanotech = Biological Nanomachines = Precisely Arranged Proteins = Precisely Assembled Amino Acid Chain Sequences linked by peptide bonds. There are four types of protein structures ... primary, secondary, tertiary, and quaternary. Primary: proteins made of amino acids linked in a unique sequential order. Secondary: primary protein structures that include coiled alpha helices and folded beta sheets. Tertiary and quaternary: protein structures involving complex folding and interaction of multiple polypeptide chains.
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Replying to @Dr_Singularity
Back in the day, my reply to anybody who worried about "gray goo" was that they were about 3 billion years too late.
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Replying to @Dr_Singularity
Bro this is a cartoon what are you talking about? What makes you think this is a real thing? Because someone drew a picture of it?
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Replying to @Dr_Singularity
The crazier part is that this happened by complete randomness. By complete chance true atoms and molecules and proteins arranged themselves in just good enough of an order to allow one of these buggers to move. That ain’t crazy to y’all?
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Replying to @Dr_Singularity
Without the help of ai I think we can be there and further . The problem is it’s not profitable , and no instant gratification for those that can fund.
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Replying to @Dr_Singularity
Yes, but very much doubt the "soon"
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Replying to @Dr_Singularity
I like how atp synthase acts like a press.
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Replying to @Dr_Singularity
All Living species on Earth are Beautiful designs by our ET creators, mistaken for god(s) by our ancestors. Now that we are progressing in understanding DNA & Genetic Engineering, we can understand what they did & their last Message without mystification: rumble.com/v4nvp9e-time-to-w…
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