NANOTECHNOLOGY - From fiction to reality

The following is an article which i wrote for my symposium souvenier. I had compiled information from various sources including wiki and how stuff works. Hope its useful for a beginner.

The Devilzadvocate - KP

“Good things come in small quantities” goes a popular saying. Imagine that you are able to manipulate individual atoms so as to give shape to a product with the precise structure. Are we talking science fiction? Or does it sound impossible and crazy? We are talking nanotechnology.

What is it? And is it new??
Nanotechnology is an umbrella term that is used to describe a variety of techniques to fabricate materials and devices on a nanoscale. One nanometer is one billionth of a meter which is roughly the size of 10 hydrogen atoms put together. Using nanoparticles is not something new. It might be interesting to note that nanoparticles were used by the Chinese and Romans some thousand years ago. Degusssa since 1920’s have been producing carbon black, which makes the car tyres black and improves their resistance to wear and tear. Then what’s special in this technology that it attracts lots of funds and every organization is pumping in money for research into this field. The answer is quite simple the people we discussed about didn’t have any control over the particle size nor were they aware of the nanoscale which we are talking about. The thing which is new about nanotechnology is not only our ability to manipulate things on the nanoscale but to have a greater understanding of the atomic scale interactions.

Construction using atoms:
Assemblers: Assemblers can be programmed to manipulate atoms and molecules at will
Replicators: Replicators are programmed to create more assemblers.

Trillions of assemblers and replicators will work together to construct a product. It might be interesting to note that trillions of assemblers and replicators will occupy an area lesser than one cubic millimeter and will be invisible to the human eye.

Applications – An overview:
Nanotechnology has a wide range of applications ranging from manufacturing industry to the field of medicine. In manufacturing industry it can be used to produce stronger and cost effective consumer goods. If we can succeed in replication of food grains we could remove famines from the face of earth.
It can be used to fabricate processors and memory devices with high speed and storage capacity but in the size of a sugar cube. Nanotechnology has a great impact in the field of medicine. It has a wide range of applications like modifying the cancer cells and virus to make them harmless, to provide oxygen to the RBC’s, to perform surgeries which require no incision, the list goes on. It is also said that we can use nanobots to increase the life expectancy and reduce the aging process.

Nanobots – Weapons of Mass destruction:
There has been numerous works of fiction elucidating the use of nanobots in the field of warfare and the after effects. Nanobots with their limited ability to mutate and replicate can pose little or no threats. One nanobot of the nature which would be of interest in this regard is the “Virus”.

The birth of a new revolution:
Nanotechnology has the capacity to revolutionize the future era. If the promises offered by this technology are realized fully we can be assured of a better quality of life with durable goods and a healthy life. Any technology which is used against the principles of nature will lead to imbalance and hence destruction. Nanotechnology is no exception.