In effect, such a configuration would be a molecular switch, a transistor. Every hour, the newspaper's office broadcasts new instructions that are picked up by the processor. Carla realizes how critical molecular transistors are to such a product. Carla and her friends hurry to get to their next class in time. Engineers are required to take Systems Dynamics because it deals with the techniques used to control individual elements for a common purpose.
Nanotechnology often requires using trillions of trillions of nanomachines as a team.
In Rockefeller, Carla heads to the basement where she is working on a computer lab for the class. Her task is to design a system that will take readings in orbit around a planet using several types of nanomachines, each of which perform a different function in space. Space exploration is usually done using systems similar to the one Carla is working on because scientists can easily modify the goals of a mission while the nanomachines are in flight, and missions can succeed even if many of them fail. In addition, future missions cost less because these machines have already been designed and are cheaper to manufacture than a completely new satellite system. First, Carla programs the nanomachines that have sensors to take readings at regular intervals and to send their data to a bank of processing nanocomputers.