Nanotechnology Before I can really address this topic properly I have to answer “What is Nanotechnology and why the hype?” Currently the term nano has been thrown around a lot in recent years. Mostly this is the desire of researchers to grab the research money that is out there and using buzz words do help turn heads. Nanotechnology is a grab bag of different fields of science. It takes from condensed-matter physics, engineering, molecular biology and large swaths of chemistry. Even the government was convinced by the hype to create The National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI) is a multi-agency program intended to provide a big funding boost to nanoscience and engineering.
So what is nanotechnology actually doing in the world outside of fiction? Developments at the nanoscale are revolutionising many spheres of science and technology in a variety of ways. Most widespread is probably its penetration into materials science. The increasingly ubiquitous ‘carbon nanotube’ is bringing the twin benefits of great strength combined with low mass to a variety of applications from the... ... middle of paper ... ... to ease the transition into a world where this technology becomes commonplace. If all this comes to pass (as the evidence all seems to suggest that it will), the concept of what it is to be human will be altered irrevocably, with nanotechnology both surrounding us and colonising our bodies.
If scientists are able to succeed in mastering Nanotechnology while avoiding any cost challenges, it will revolutionize the medical field and improve human health and quality of life through many applications. What exactly is nanotechnology? If we were to break down the word we would find that the word Nano comes from the Greek word meaning dwarf and when joined with technology this word encompasses anything on a nanoscale. According to the National Nanotechnology Initiative (nano.gov) “Nanotechnology is science, engineering, and technology conducted at the nanoscale, which is about 1 to 100 nanometers. Nanoscience and nanotechnology are the study and application of extremely small things and can be used across all the other science fields, such as chemistry, biology, physics, materials science, and engineering”.
The future implications of nanotechnology exist along all frontiers of science, culture, commerce, economy, business, law, ethics, medicine/health, religion, and life. The end result of these changes will, however, either advance human civilization several orders of magnitude forward and thus achieve “utopia” if properly managed and regulated, or bring an end to human civilization if not properly controlled, studied, and managed, akin to “Pandora’s Box” of ancient Greek mythology, but several orders of magnitude worse! Some significant implications as a result of nanotechnology include[2]: · Nearly free consumer products · PC's billions of times faster then today · People live longer with virtual ends to illness and aging · No more pollution and automatic cleanup of existing pollution . End of famine and starvation · Superior education for every child on Earth These implications could become reality in the near ... ... middle of paper ... .../view/library/aliens/article/70558.html [12] “Library-Technology – Nanoprobes”, StarTrek.com, http://www.startrek.com/startrek/view/library/technology/article/3963.html [13] National Nanotechnology Infrastructure Network, http://www.nnin.org/ [14] National Nanotechnology Initiative, http://www.nano.gov [15] Center for Responsible Nanotechnology, http://www.crnano.org [16] “Everything or Nothing Overview”, http://www.commanderbond.net/Public/Stories/2279-1.shtml [17] “Nanotechnology Now – Ethics of Nanotechnology”, http://nanotech-now.com/ethics-of-nanotechnology.htm [18] Rob Fixmer, "The Soul of the Next New Machine: Humans", New York Times on the Web (November 5, 1999), http://cseserv.engr.scu.edu/NQuinn/ENGR019_301Winter2004/HWBCCCU.htm [19] “Telecommunications Act of 1996”, Federal Communications Commission, http://www.fcc.gov/telecom.html
Nanotechnology could give the human race eternal life, or it could cause total annihilation. The idea of nanotech was conceived by a man named K. Eric Drexler (Stix 94), which he defines as "Technology based on the manipulation of individual atoms and molecules to build structures to complex atomic specifications (Drexler, "Engines" 288)." The technology which Drexler speaks of will be undoubtedly small, in fact, nano- structures will only measure 100 nanometers, or a billionth of a meter (Stix 94). Being as small as they are, nanostructures require fine particles that can only be seen with the STM, or Scanning Tunneling Microscope (Dowie 4). Moreover the STM allows the scientists to not only see things at the molecular level, but it can pick up and move atoms as well (Port 128).
It is more than just mixing nanoscale materials together, it requires that we understand how to precisely manipulate and control these materials in a useful way. Nanotechnology is a new and broad science where diverse fields such as physics, chemistry, biology, materials science, and engineering converge. The way consumers respond to these early products, will be the test for broader market acceptance of nanotechnologies in the future. Nanotechnology is the construction and the use of functional structures designed from an atomic or molecular scale with at least one characteristic dimension measured in nanometers. The prefix "nano" comes from the ancient Greek word for "dwarf".
That we as the human race can create machines that could be designed to cure the common cold, rid the body of cancer cells, or reestablish endangered species. Yet, as science progresses these ideas are becoming real. The way nanotechnology works is very simple, but on a very, very small scale. The general idea is to create diminutive robots called nanobots out of carbon elements. These nanobots will be "equipped with arms able to grasp, manipulate, and lock in place individual atoms…in effect, [they would] resemble extremely small unmanned submarines.
Whatever the case may be, new technology could end up showing us that our human meaning is much more vulnerable than we thought! Our futures are continuously questioned due to new and different forms of nanotechnology. The future medical revelations provided by the appearance of nanobots are extremely exciting, but at the same time, incredibly daunting. Ralph Merkle and Eric Drexler, two experts on nanotechnology, describe “nanobots” as microscopic robots that are transported into our bodies and “build copies of themselves” (Kurzweil 561). These atomic nanobots are launched into our bloodstreams and eventually impact our immune system for the better.
Robert Boyle brought about the true beginning of chemistry by disproving Aristotle’s theory of four elements (Chemistry). Many discoveries were made without the computer and especially before the modern home computer. Before 1992, nuclear fission, nuclear weapons, Nuclear magnetic resonance, and Infrared Spectroscopy had all been discovered and were used effectively. This being said, the computer revamped all of these discoveries and made them more accurate, affordable, and easier to use. It changed the way chemists communicate with each other, store their information, and even publish their discoveries.
Introduction Nanotechnology is a term used in reference to the science and engineering whereby the basic building blocks of matter such as atoms and molecules are manipulated. In the future, nanotechnology will give a greater control over the materials used in the manufacturing processes. In addition, nanotechnology will also enable manufacturers to have control over how materials are produced. Nanotechnology remains a controversial issue that has elicited varied debates among scholars (Hunt and Mehta 8). Those who support nanotechnology do so based on the benefits of the technology in areas such as treating diseases, purifying water, and cleaning up different materials.