Nano vs. Pico

Nanotechnology is a really hot topic these days. The term "nano" is so trendy. The Apple iPod Nano is a prime example of how companies are leveraging the term "nano." Apple had the mini, and instead of coming out with the "micro" they came out with the nano. Why not the pico?

So when will the buzz grow for "pico"? The projector industry is using this term to talk about new projectors that fit in your pocket. Why not use the word nano? Is nano overused? Will Apple release an iPod pico? Will we start seeing pico overused?

In SI units, a nanometer = 1×10⁻⁹ m
and
a picometer = 1×10⁻¹² m

so what about the others?

According to wikipedia:

Subdivisions	Name		deci-	centi-	milli-	micro-	nano-	pico-	femto-	atto-	zepto-	yocto-
	Symbol		d	c	m	µ	n	p	f	a	z	y
	Factor	100	10−1	10−2	10−3	10−6	10−9	10−12	10−15	10−18	10−21	10−24

I personally like zepto, but yocto sounds more unusual. Have you noticed how letters near the end of the alphabet (like Z and Y) are popular in brand drug names?

4th Integrating Electronic Health Records and eClinical Technologies Conference

Interested in attending a conference on Electronic Health Records (EHRs)? Well, the 4th Annual Integrating Electronic Health Records and eClinical Technologies Conference is about to happen in Baltimore later this month. It doesn't appear to be too late to register for this event that will cover strategies to converge drug development and healthcare IT. I've never attended, but it sounds like a very interesting conference that may be worth checking out if you're new to the industry. These types of conferences are excellent networking and educational opportunities.