Scientists yesterday reported the creation of the world's first molecular-scale transistor, a tiny device that could push the miniaturization of electronics to the threshold of its final frontier.

For nearly a decade, molecular scientists have been motivated by the
futuristic prospect of immensely powerful supercomputers that fit on the tip
of a finger. Fueling these space-age machines might be microcircuits made up of single carbon molecules, or nanotubes. Assemble the billions of these microscopic circuits necessary to construct a semiconductor and the resulting chip might still be too small to see.

Researchers at Los Alamos are using radio waves to carry out an experiment in quantum computing. By using radio waves to manipulate atoms like so many quantum abacus beads, the Los Alamos scientists will coax a molecule called crotonic acid into executing a simple computer program. The researchers are aiming for a computer that can carry out a calculation involving 10 atoms which would result in an invisibly tiny computer that can carry out 1,024 (210) calculations at the same time.

An overview of the work of Jim Tour, the cofounder of Molecular Electronics Corp. and one of the leading researchers in molecular computing and nanotechnology. Molecular Electronics' work of developing atom-size computer components is among the most advanced in the country, and might produce working prototypes in the next 12 to 18 months.

Scientific American contributes to the recent spike in molecular computing coverage with an excellent feature article.

Researchers have demonstrated that molecules can add, a breakthrough that will boost efforts to develop a molecular computer.

Researchers are developing computers from molecules that would be able to build themselves in a set of chemical steps.

An overview of the current research and future potential of molecular computing.

American researchers form a company to take advantage of the current research in molecular computing.

A well written article on molecular computing that simply exudes excitement and energy. Markoff reports that elite labs across the country, both military and private, are reporting a string of breakthroughs that could lead to a revolution in computing that may be 'too profound to fathom.'.