But there are doubters. Scientific and business journals are filled with stories, pro and con, about the feasibility of molecular computing. Some wonder if the technology would cripple or destroy the semiconductor industry, valued at tens of billions of dollars. Others say the visions are greater than the realities, and the hype is setting expectations too high. If you think a self-assembling molecular computer is right around the corner, you may have succumbed to the big lie.
Researchers say they understand the skepticism.
Some people, he said, are expecting results overnight, fanning the flames with hype. You have people being quoted in the press saying by next year, we will be micro-digital. It will take years. And this wouldn't be the first time people have doubted what is possible from science, said another member of the team, Dr. Jerome Lando, a professor of macromolecular science at Case. So what we say might sound unreasonable, but we'll see if it's correct.