AI Related Article

During the discussion about AI in Full Thrust, the point came up about
miniaturization of components and nanotechnology.  I read the following
article today in the paper:

(AP) "Guitar The Size Of A Blood Cell"

ITHACA, N.Y - The world's tiniest guitar is about the size of a single
blood cell, 20 times thinner than a human hair.  Its six strings can be
plucked, but they are too small to be heard.
  Scientists at Cornell University carved the guitar out of crystalline
silicon to demonstrate the possibilities of building devices at the
microscopic level.  The guitar itself is just 10 micrometers long.  A
micrometer is one-millionth of a meter.  The strings are each about 50
nanometers wide.  A nanometer is a billionth of a meter. 
  "The guitar was made for fun but demonstrates a new technology that
can be used to fabricate extremely small mechanical devices for a
variety of electronics and other industries," said Cornell spokesman
Larry Bernard.
  Harold Craighead, an engineering physics professor who supervised
construction of the guitar said it's still technically possible to make
devices even smaller.

Consequently, as one poster noted, you could have some very intelligent
missiles that would act like fighters, delivering ordinance, then
returning to rearm/refuel.  If we can do this level of miniaturization
now, one or two centuries from now should lead to some very significant
advances in computing power per unit weight.