NANOTECHNOLOGY

The Future is Coming Sooner Than You Think

1. INTRODUCTION :
Nanotehno!og", sometimes shortened to nanoteh, refers to a field of applied science
whose theme is the control of matter on an atomic and molecular scale. Generally
nanotechnology deals with structures 100 nanometers or smaller, and involves developing
materials or devices within that size.
Nanotechnology is an umbrella term that encompasses all fields of science that operate on the
nanoscale. Nanotechnology is an extremely diverse and multidisciplinary field, ranging from
novel extensions of conventional device physics, to completely new approaches based
upon molecular self-assembly, to developing new materials with dimensions on the
nanoscale, or the scale of nothing, even to speculation on whether we can directly control
matter on the atomic scale.

Nanotechnology has the potential to create many new materials and devices with wide-
ranging applications, such as in medicine, electronics, and energy production. n the other
hand, nanotechnology raises many of the same issues as with any introduction of new
technology, including concerns about the toxicity and environmental impact of
nanomaterials, and their potential effects on global economics
2. HO# NE# IS NANOTECHNOLOGY$
Nanotechnology was first introduced in 1!"!, in a tal# by the Nobel
$rize-winning physicist , entitled %&here's $lenty of (oom at the
)ottom%. (ichard *eynman proposed using a set of conventional-sized
robot arms to construct a replica of themselves, but one-tenth the
original size, then using that new set of arms to manufacture an even
smaller set, and so on, until the molecular scale is reached. +f we had
many millions or billions of such molecular-scale arms, we could
program them to wor# together to create macro-scale products built
from individual molecules , a %bottom-up manufacturing% techni-ue,
as opposed to the usual techni-ue of cutting away material until you
have a completed component or product , %top-down
manufacturing%.
+n 1!./, 0. 1ric 2rexler wrote %1ngines of 3reation% and introduced
the term nanotechnology. 4cientific research really expanded over the
last decade. +nventors and corporations aren't far behind -- today, more
than 15,000 patents registered with the 6.4. $atent ffice have the
word %nano% in them.
1
0. 1ric 2rexler
(ichard *eynman
3. #HAT IS NANOTECHNOLOGY$
A %asi &e'inition:
Nanotechnology is the engineering of functional systems at the molecular scale. &his
covers both current wor# and concepts that are more advanced.
+n its original sense, 'nanotechnology' refers to the pro7ected ability to construct items from
the bottom up, using techni-ues and tools being developed today to ma#e complete, high
performance products.
&he 6.4. National Nanotechnology +nitiative defines nanotechnology as8
The science, engineering, and technology related to the understanding and control of
matter at the length scale of approximately 1 to 100 nanometers.
Fun&amenta! one(ts:
ne nanometer 9nm: is one billionth, or 10
-!
of a meter. *or comparison purposes, the width
of an average hair is 100,000 nanometers. ;uman blood cells are <,000 to ",000 nm long, a
strand of 2N= has a diameter of <." nm, and a line of ten hydrogen atoms is one nm.< &he
last three statistics are especially enlightening. *irst, even within a blood cell there is a great
deal of room at the nanoscale. Nanotechnology therefore holds out the promise of
manipulating individual cell structure and function. 4econd, the ability tounderstand and
manipulate matter at the level of one nanometer is closely related to the ability to understand
and manipulate both matter and life at their most basic levels8 the atom and the organic
molecules that ma#e up 2N=.
&wo main approaches are used in nanotechnology. +n the %bottom-up% approach, materials
and devices are built from molecularcomponents which assemble themselves chemically by
principles of molecular recognition. +n the %top-down% approach, nano-ob7ects are
constructed from larger entities without atomic-level control.
. HO# NANOTECHNOLOGY #OR)S$
&here's an unprecedented multidisciplinary convergence of scientists dedicated to the study
of a world so small, we can't see it -- even with a light microscope. &hat world is the field of
nanotechnology, the realm of atoms and nanostructures. Nanotechnology is so new> no one is
really sure what will come of it. 1ven so, predictions range from the ability to reproduce
things li#e diamonds and food to the world being devoured by self-replicating nanorobots.
<
=s small as a nanometer is, it's still large compared to the atomic scale. =n atom has a
diameter of about 0.1 nm. =n atom's nucleus is much smaller -- about 0.00001 nm. =toms are
the building bloc#s for all matter in our universe. ?ou and everything around you are made of
atoms. Nature has perfected the science of manufacturing matter molecularly. *or instance,
our bodies are assembled in a specific manner from millions of living cells. 3ells are nature's
nanomachines. =t the atomic scale, elements are at their most basic level. n the nanoscale,
we can potentially put these atoms together to ma#e almost anything.
!. *RODUCTS #ITH NANOTECHNOLOGY
?ou might be surprised to find out how many products on the mar#et are already benefiting
from nanotechnology.
Sunsreen - @any sunscreens contain nanoparticles of
zinc oxide or titanium oxide. ldersunscreen formulas
use larger particles, which is what gives most
sunscreens their whitish color. 4maller particles are
less visible, meaning that when you rub the sunscreen
into your s#in, it doesn't give you a whitish tinge.
Se!'+!eaning g!ass - = company called $il#ington
offers a product they call =ctiv Glass, which uses
nanoparticles to ma#e the glass (hotoata!"ti
and h"&ro(hi!i. &he photocatalytic effect means that when 6A radiation from
5
Ingre&ients !ike ,in o-i&e an !ea.e a
/hite sheen %ehin&0 1ut sunsreens /ith
,in o-i&e nano(arti!es ru% on !ear0
light hits the glass, nanoparticles become energized and begin to brea# down and
loosen organic molecules on the glass 9in other words, dirt:. ;ydrophilic means
that when water ma#es contact with the glass, it
spreads across the glass evenly, which helps wash the
glass clean.
C!othing - 4cientists are using nanoparticles to
enhance your clothing. )y coating fabrics with a thin
layer of zinc oxide nanoparticles, manufacturers can
create clothes that give better protection from 6A
radiation. 4ome clothes have nanoparticles in the
form of little hairs or whis#ers that help repel water
and other materials, ma#ing the clothing stain-
resistant.
Srath+resistant oatings - 1ngineers discovered that
adding aluminum silicate nanoparticles to scratch-
resistant polymer coatings made the coatings more
effective, increasing resistance to chipping and
scratching. 4cratch-resistant coatings are common on
everything from cars to eyeglass lenses.
Antimiro%ia! %an&ages - 4cientist (obert )urrell
created a process to manufacture antibacterial bandages using nanoparticles of
silver. 4ilver ions bloc# microbes' cellular respiration Bsource8 )urnsurgery.orgC.
+n other words, silver smothers harmful cells, #illing them.
S/imming (oo! !eaners and &isin'etants - 1nviro4ystems, +nc. developed a
mixture 9called a nanoemulsion: of nano-sized oil drops mixed with a
bactericide. &he oil particles adhere to bacteria, ma#ing the delivery of the
bactericide more efficient and effective.
New products incorporating nanotechnology are coming out every day. Drin#le-resistant
fabrics, deep-penetrating cosmetics, li-uid crystal displays 9E32: and other conveniences
using nanotechnology are on the mar#et. )efore long, we'll see dozens of other products that
ta#e advantage of nanotechnology ranging from +ntel microprocessors to %io+
nano%atteries, capacitorsonly a few nanometers thic#. Dhile this is exciting, it's only the tip
of the iceberg as far as how nanotechnology may impact us in the future.
F
Tennis2 An"one$
Nanotechnology is ma#ing a big impact on the tennis world. +n <00<, the tennis rac#et
company )abolat introduced the A4 Nanotube $ower rac#et. &hey made the rac#et
out of carbon nanotube-infused graphite, meaning the rac#et was very light, yet many
times stronger than steel. @eanwhile, tennis ball manufacturer Dilson introduced the
2ouble 3ore tennis ball. &hese balls have a coating of clay nanoparticles on the inner
core. &he clay acts as a sealant, ma#ing it very difficult for air to escape the ball.
?oshi#azu &sunoG=*$GGetty +mages
)ridgestone engineers developed this Huic#
(esponse Ei-uid $owder 2isplay, a flexible
digital screen, using nanotechnology.
". NANO#IRES AND CAR1ON NANOTU1ES
3urrently, scientists find two nano-size structures of particular interest8 nano/ires and
ar%on nanotu%es. Nanowires are
wires with a very small diameter,
sometimes as small as 1 nanometer.
4cientists hope to use them to build tiny
transistors for computer chips and other
electronic devices. +n the last couple of
years, carbon nanotubes have
overshadowed nanowires. De're still
learning about these structures, but
what we've learned so far is very
exciting.
= carbon nanotube is a nano-size cylinder of carbon atoms. +magine a sheet of carbon atoms,
which would loo# li#e a sheet of hexagons. +f you roll that sheet into a tube, you'd have a
carbon nanotube. 3arbon nanotube properties depend on how you roll the sheet. +n other
words, even though all carbon nanotubes are made of carbon, they can be very different from
one another based on how you align the individual atoms.
Dith the right arrangement of atoms, you can create a carbon nanotube that's hundreds of
times stronger than steel, but six times lighter. 1ngineers plan to ma#e building material out
of carbon nanotubes, particularly for things li#e cars and airplanes. Eighter vehicles would
mean better fuel efficiency, and the added strength translates to increased passenger safety.
"
CNT is a tubular form of carbon
with diameters as small as 1nm,
and lengths of over 130 microns
CNTs exhibit
extraordinary
mechanical
properties
oungs
!odulus over 1
T"a
Tensile strength
approximately
#00 $"a
3arbon nanotubes can also be effective semiconductors with the right arrangement of atoms.
4cientists are still wor#ing on finding ways to ma#e carbon nanotubes a realistic option for
transistors in microprocessors and other electronics.
#. $%&'()&*+ N*N%T'(,N%&%-./ * &%N-0T'+$ 12'3
@olecular nanotechnology, sometimes called molecular manufacturing, is a term given to the
concept of engineered nanosystems 9nanoscale machines: operating on the molecular scale. +t
is especially associated with the concept of a molecular assembler, a machine that can
produce a desired structure or device atom-by-atom using the principles of
mechanosynthesis. @anufacturing in the context of productive nanosystems is not related to,
and should be clearly distinguished from, the conventional technologies used to manufacture
nanomaterials such as carbon nanotubes and nanoparticles. Dhen the term %nanotechnology%
was independently coined and popularized by 1ric 2rexler 9who at the time was unaware of
an earlier usage by Norio &aniguchi: it referred to a future manufacturing technology based
on molecular machine systems. &he premise was that molecular scale biological analogies of
/
Gra(hite .s0 Diamon&s
Dhat's the difference between graphite and diamondsI )oth materials
are made of carbon, but both have vastly different properties. Graphite is
soft> diamonds are hard. Graphite conducts electricity, but diamonds are
insulators and can't conduct electricity. Graphite is opa-ue> diamonds are
usually transparent. Graphite and diamonds have these properties
because of the way the carbon atoms bond together at the nanoscale.
traditional machine components demonstrated molecular machines were possible8 by the
countless examples found in biology, it is #nown that sophisticated, stochastically optimised
biological machines can be produced.
+t is hoped that developments in nanotechnology will ma#e possible their construction by
some other means, perhaps using biomimetic principles. ;owever, 2rexler and other
researchers have proposed that advanced nanotechnology, although perhaps initially
implemented by biomimetic means, ultimately could be based on mechanical engineering
principles, namely, a manufacturing technology based on the mechanical functionality of
these components 9such as gears, bearings, motors, and structural members: that would
enable programmable, positional assembly to atomic specification 9$N=4-1!.1:. &he
physics and engineering performance of exemplar designs were analyzed in 2rexler's boo#
Nanosystems.
+n general it is very difficult to assemble devices on the atomic scale, as all one has to
position atoms are other atoms of comparable size and stic#yness. =nother view, put forth by
3arlo @ontemagno, is that future nanosystems will be hybrids of silicon technology and
biological molecular machines. ?et another view, put forward by the late (ichard 4malley, is
that mechanosynthesis is impossible due to the difficulties in mechanically manipulating
individual molecules.
&his led to an exchange of letters in the =34 publication 3hemical J 1ngineering News in
<005. &hough biology clearly demonstrates that molecular machine systems are possible,
non-biological molecular machines are today only in their infancy. Eeaders in research on
non-biological molecular machines are 2r. =lex Kettl and his colleagues at Eawrence
)er#eley Eaboratories and 63 )er#eley. &hey have constructed at least three distinct
molecular devices whose motion is controlled from the des#top with changing voltage8 a
nanotube nanomotor, a molecular actuator, and a nanoelectromechanical relaxation oscillator.
=n experiment indicating that positional molecular assembly is possible was performed by
;o and Eee at 3ornell 6niversity in 1!!!. &hey used a scanning tunneling microscope to
move an individual carbon monoxide molecule 93: to an individual iron atom 9*e: sitting
on a flat silver crystal, and chemically bound the 3 to the *e by applying a voltage.
4. CURRENT RESEARCH
Nanomateria!s
&his includes subfields which develop or study materials
having uni-ue properties arising from their nanoscale
dimentions.
Inter'ae an& Co!!oi& Siene has given rise to many
@aterials which may be useful in
nanotechnology, such as carbon nanotubes
and other fullerenes, and various nanoparticles
and nanorods.
L
Graphical representation of a
rotaxane, useful as a molecular switch
Nanoscale materials can also be used for %u!k a((!iations> most present commercial
applications of nanotechnology are of this flavor.
$rogress has been made in using these materials for medical applications.
5ottom0up approaches
&hese see# to arrange smaller components into more
complex assemblies.
DNA nanotehno!og" utilizes the specificity of
Datson-3ric# basepairing to construct well-defined
structures out of 2N= and other nucleic acids.
=pproaches from the field of %classical% chemical
synthesis also aim at designing molecules with well-
defined shape 9e.g. bis-peptides:.
@ore generally, mo!eu!ar se!'+assem%!" see#s to
use concepts of supramolecular chemistry, and
molecular recognition in particular, to cause
single-molecule components to automatically
arrange themselves into some useful conformation.
To
(+&o/n a((roahes
&hese see# to create smaller devices by using larger ones to direct their assembly.
@any technologies descended from conventional so!i&+state si!ion metho&s for
fabricating microprocessors are now capable of creating features smaller than 100
nm, falling under the definition of nanotechnology. Giant magnetoresistance-based
hard drives already on the mar#et fit this description, as do atomic layer deposition
9=E2: techni-ues. $eter GrMnberg and =lbert *ert received the Nobel $rize in
$hysics for their discovery of Giant magnetoresistance and contributions to the field
of spintronics in <00L.
4olid-state techni-ues can also be used to create devices #nown as
nanoe!etromehania! s"stems or N1@4, which are related to
microelectromechanical systems or @1@4.
=tomic force microscope tips can be used as a nanoscale %write head% to deposit a
chemical upon a surface in a desired pattern in a process called &i( (en
nano!ithogra(h". &his fits into the larger subfield of nanolithography.
*ocussed ion beams can directly remove material, or even deposit material when
suitable pre-cursor gasses are applied at the same time. *or example, this techni-ue is
used routinely to create sub-100 nm sections of material for analysis in &ransmission
electron microscopy.
.
&his device transfers energy from
nano-thin layers of -uantum wells to
nanocrystals above them, causing
the nanocrystals to emit visible
light.
6peculati7e
&hese subfields see# to anticipate what inventions nanotechnology might yield, or attempt to
propose an agenda along which in-uiry might progress. &hese often ta#e a big-picture view
of nanotechnology, with more emphasis on its societal implications than the details of how
such inventions could actually be created.
3o!eu!ar nanotehno!og" is a proposed approach which involves manipulating
single molecules in finely controlled, deterministic ways. &his is more theoretical
than the other subfields and is beyond current capabilities.
Nanoro%otis centers on self-sufficient machines of some functionality operating at
the nanoscale. &here are hopes for applying nanorobots in medicine
B15CB1FCB1"C
, but it
may not be easy to do such a thing because of several drawbac#s of such devices.
B1/C
Nevertheless, progress on innovative materials and methodologies has been
demonstrated with some patents granted about new nanomanufacturing devices for
future commercial applications, which also progressively helps in the development
towards nanorobots with the use of embedded nanobioelectronics concept.
B1LCB1.C

*rogramma%!e matter based on artificial atoms see#s to design materials whose
properties can be easily, reversibly and externally controlled.
2ue to the popularity and media exposure of the term nanotechnology, the words
(iotehno!og" and 'emtotehno!og" have been coined in analogy to it, although
these are only used rarely and informally.
8. TOOLS AND TECHNI4UES
&he first observations and size measurements of nano-particles were made during the first
decade of the <0th century. &hey are mostly associated with the name of Ksigmondy who
made detailed studies of gold sols and other
nanomaterials with sizes down to 10 nm and less.
;e published a boo# in 1!1F. ;e used
ultramicroscope that employs a dark field method
for seeing particles with sizes much less than light
wavelength.
&here are traditional techni-ues developed during
<0th century in +nterface and 3olloid 4cience for
characterizing nanomaterials. &hese are widely
used for first generation (assi.e nanomateria!s
specified in the next section.
&hese methods include several different
techni-ues for characterizing particle size
distribution. &his characterization is imperative
because many materials that are expected to be
nano-sized are actually aggregated in solutions.
4ome of methods are based on light scattering.
ther apply ultrasound, such as ultrasound
!
&ypical =*@ setup. = microfabricated
cantilever with a sharp tip is deflected by
features on a sample surface, much li#e in a
phonograph but on a much smaller scale. =
laser beam reflects off the bac#side of the
cantilever into a set of photodetectors,
allowing the deflection to be measured and
assembled into an image of the surface.
attenuation spectroscopy for testing concentrated
nano-dispersions and microemulsions.
&here is also a group of traditional techni-ues for characterizing surface charge or zeta
potential of nano-particles in solutions. &his information is re-uired for proper system
stabilzation, preventing its aggregation or flocculation. &hese methods include
microelectrophoresis, electrophoretic light scattering and electroacoustics. &he last one, for
instance colloid vibration current method is suitable for characterizing concentrated systems.
Next group of nanotechnological techni-ues include those used for fabrication of nanowires,
those used in semiconductor fabrication such as deep ultraviolet lithography, electron beam
lithography, focused ion beam machining, nanoimprint lithography, atomic layer deposition,
and molecular vapor deposition, and further including molecular self-assembly techni-ues
such as those employing di-bloc# copolymers. ;owever, all of these techni-ues preceded the
nanotech era, and are extensions in the development of scientific advancements rather than
techni-ues which were devised with the sole purpose of creating nanotechnology and which
were results of nanotechnology research.
&here are several important modern developments. &he atomic force microscope 9=*@: and
the 4canning &unneling @icroscope 94&@: are two early versions of scanning probes that
launched nanotechnology. &here are other types of scanning probe microscopy, all flowing
from the ideas of the scanning confocal microscope developed by @arvin @ins#y in 1!/1
and the scanning acoustic microscope 94=@: developed by 3alvin Huate and cowor#ers in
the 1!L0s, that made it possible to see structures at the nanoscale. &he tip of a scanning probe
can also be used to manipulate nanostructures 9a process called positional assembly:.
*eature-oriented scanning-positioning methodology suggested by (ostislav Eapshin appears
to be a promising way to implement these nanomanipulations in automatic mode. ;owever,
this is still a slow process because of low scanning velocity of the microscope. Aarious
techni-ues of nanolithography such as dip pen nanolithography, electron beam lithography or
nanoimprint lithography were also developed. Eithography is a top-down fabrication
techni-ue where a bul# material is reduced in size to nanoscale pattern.
&he top-down approach anticipates nanodevices that must be built piece by piece in stages,
much as manufactured items are made. 4canning probe microscopy is an important techni-ue
both for characterization and synthesis of nanomaterials. =tomic force microscopes and
scanning tunneling microscopes can be used to loo# at surfaces and to move atoms around.
)y designing different tips for these microscopes, they can be used for carving out structures
on surfaces and to help guide self-assembling structures. )y using, for example, feature-
oriented scanning-positioning approach, atoms can be moved around on a surface with
scanning probe microscopy techni-ues. =t present, it is expensive and time-consuming for
mass production but very suitable for laboratory experimentation.
+n contrast, bottom-up techni-ues build or grow larger structures atom by atom or molecule
by molecule. &hese techni-ues include chemical synthesis, self-assembly and positional
assembly. =nother variation of the bottom-up approach is molecular beam epitaxy or @)1.
(esearchers at )ell &elephone Eaboratories li#e Nohn (. =rthur. =lfred ?. 3ho, and =rt 3.
Gossard developed and implemented @)1 as a research tool in the late 1!/0s and 1!L0s.
10
4amples made by @)1 were #ey to the discovery of the fractional -uantum ;all effect for
which the 1!!. Nobel $rize in $hysics was awarded. @)1 allows scientists to lay down
atomically-precise layers of atoms and, in the process, build up complex structures.
+mportant for research on semiconductors, @)1 is also widely used to ma#e samples and
devices for the newly emerging field of spintronics.
Newer techni-ues such as 2ual $olarisation +nterferometry are enabling scientists to measure
-uantitatively the molecular interactions that ta#e place at the nano-scale.
;owever, new therapeutic products, based on responsive nanomaterials, such as the
ultradeformable, stress-sensitive &ransfersome vesicles, are under development and already
approved for human use in some countries.
10. THE *ROGRESSION OF NANOTECHNOLOGY
Dhy nowI +f it seems that nanotechnology has begun to blossom in the last ten years, this is
largely due to the development of new instruments that allow researchers to observe and
manipulate matter at the nanolevel. &echnologies such as scanning tunneling microscopy,
magnetic force microscopy, and electron microscopy allow scientists to observe events at the
atomic level. =t the same time, economic pressures in the electronics industry have forced
the development of new lithographic techni-ues that continue the steady reduction in feature
size and cost.
ne leader in nanotechnology policy has identified four distinct generations in the
development of nanotechnology products, to which we can add a possible fifth8
9assi7e Nanostructures :20000200!;
2uring the first period products will ta#e advantage of the passive properties of
nanomaterials, including nanotubes and nanolayers. *or example, titanium dioxide is
often used in sunscreens because it absorbs and reflects ultraviolet light. Dhen bro#en
down into nanoparticles it becomes transparent to visible light, eliminating the white
cream appearance associated with traditional sunscreens. 3arbon nanotubes are much
stronger than steel but only a fraction of the weight. &ennis rac#ets containing them
promise to deliver greater stiffness without additional weight. =s a third example, yarn
that is coated with a nanolayer of material can be woven into stain-resistant clothing.
1ach of these products ta#es advantage of the uni-ue property of a material when it is
manufactured at a nanoscale. ;owever, in each case the nanomaterial itself remains
static once it is encapsulated into the product.
11
*cti7e Nanostructures :200!02010;
=ctive nanostructures change their state during use, responding in predicable ways to the
environment around them. Nanoparticles might see# out cancer cells and then release an
attached drug. = nanoelectromechancial device embedded into construction material could
sense when the material is under strain and release an epoxy that repairs any rupture. r a
layer of nanomaterial might respond to the presence of sunlight by emitting an electrical
charge to power an appliance. $roducts in this phase re-uire a greater understanding of how
the structure of a nanomaterial determines its properties and a corresponding ability to design
uni-ue materials. &hey also raise more advanced manufacturing and deployment challenges.
6ystems of Nanosystems :20100201!;
+n this stage assemblies of nanotools wor# together to achieve a final goal. = #ey challenge is
to get the main components to wor# together within a networ#, possibly exchanging
information in the process. $roteins or viruses might assemble small batteries.
Nanostructures could self-assemble into a lattice on which bone or other tissues could grow.
4mart dust strewn over an area could sense the presence of human beings and communicate
their location. 4mall nanoelectromechancial devices could search out cancer cells and turn
off their reproductive capacity. =t this stage significant advancements in robotics,
biotechnology, and new generation information technology will begin to appear in products.
$olecular Nanosystems :201!02020;
&his stage involves the intelligent design of molecular and atomic devices, leading to
Ounprecedented understanding and control over the basic building bloc#s of all natural and
man-made things.P =lthough the line between this stage and the last blurs, what seems to
distinguish products introduced here is that matter is crafted at the molecular and even atomic
1<
level to ta#e advantage of the specific nanoscale properties of different elements. (esearch
will occur on the interaction between light and matter, the machine-human interface, and
atomic manipulation to design molecules. =mong the examples that 2r. (oco foresees are
Omultifunctional molecules, catalysts for synthesis and controlling of engineered
nanostructures, subcellular interventions, and biomimetics for complex system dynamics and
control.P 4ince the path from initial discovery to product application ta#es 10-1< years, the
initial scientific foundations for these technologies are already starting to emerge from
laboratories. =t this stage a single product will integrate a wide variety of capacities
including independent power generation, information processing and communication, and
mechanical operation. +ts manufacture implies the ability to rearrange the basic building
bloc#s of matter and life to accomplish specific purposes. Nanoproducts regularly applied to
a field might search out and transform hazardous materials and mix a specified amount of
oxygen into the soil. Nanodevices could roam the body, fixing the 2N= of damaged cells,
monitoring vital conditions and displaying data in a readable form on s#in cells in a form
similar to a tattoo. 3omputers might operate by reading the brain waves of the operator.
The 6ingularity :2020 and beyond;
1very exponential curve eventually reaches a point where the growth rate becomes almost
infinite. &his point is often called the 4ingularity. +f technology continues to advance at
exponential rates, what happens after <0<0I &echnology is li#ely to continue, but at this stage
some observers forecast a period at which scientific advances aggressively assume their own
momentum and accelerate at unprecedented levels, enabling products that today seem li#e
science fiction. )eyond the 4ingularity, human society is incomparably different from what it
is today. 4everal assumptions seem to drive predictions of a 4ingularity. &he first is that
continued material demands and competitive pressures will continue to drive technology
forward. 4econd, at some point artificial intelligence advances to a point where computers
enhance and accelerate scientific discovery and technological change. +n other words,
intelligent machines start to produce discoveries that are too complex for humans. *inally,
there is an assumption that solutions to most of todayQs problems including material scarcity,
human health, and environmental degradation can be solved by technology, if not by us, then
by the computers we eventually develop.
11. HO# NANO TECHNOLOGY #ILL CHANGE THE #ORLD:
5a60 First 1riks Then The 1ui!&ing :
)efore nanotechnology can become anything other than a very impressive computer
simulation, nanotechnologists are inventing an assembler, a few-atoms-large
nanomachine that can custom-build matter.
1ngineers at 3ornell and 4tanford, as well as at Kyvex 9the self- described %first molecular
nanotechnology development company%: are wor#ing to create such assemblers right
now.
&he first products will most li#ely be superstrong nanoscale building materials, such as
the )uc#y tubes . )uc#y tubes are chic#en-wire-shapedtubes made from geodesic
dome-shaped carbon molecules . &hese tubes are essentially nanometer-sized graphite
fibers, and their strength is 100 to 1"0 times that of steel at less than one-fourth the
15
weight. Dith )uc#y tubes we can build super roller coasters that drop you from 1F,000 feet
or we could ta#e tram rides through the ;imalayas.
&he #ey to manufacturing with assemblers on a large scale is self-replication. ne nano-
sized robot ma#ing wood one nano-sized piece at a time would be painfully slow. )ut
if these assemblers could replicate themselves, we could have trillions of assemblers all
manufacturing in unison. &hen there would be no limit to the #inds of things we could
create. %Not only our manufacturing process will be transformed, but our concept of
labor. 3onsumer goods will become plentiful, inexpensive, smart, and durable%.
5%60The #a"s That 3o!eu!ar Nanotehno!og" ou!& Change our !i.es:
5%0763anu'aturing an& In&ustr":
Nanotechnology will render the traditional manufacturing process bsolete. *or example,
we'd no longer have a steel mill utfitted with enormous, expensive machinery,
running on fossi fuels and employing hundreds of human wor#ers> instead we'd have a
nanofactory with trillions of nanobots synthesizing steel, molecule by molecule.
)ill 4pence believes that all industry would disappear except software engineering
and design. De'd simply design, engineer, and do a molecular model of any product we
wanted, and then software could tell a nanobot how to ma#e it.
5%0860Use o' Natura! Resoures:
(ather than clear-cutting forests to ma#e paper, we'd have assemblers synthesizing paper.
(ather than using oil for energy, we'd have molecule-sized solar cells mixed into road
pavement a few hundred *amine would be obliterated, as food could be synthesized easily
and cheaply with a microwave-sized nanobox that pulls the raw materials 9mostly
carbon: from the air or the soil. =nd by using nanobots as cleaning machines that brea#
down pollutants, we would be able to counteract the damage we've done to the earthsince
the industrial revolution.
5%09603e&iine:
Nanotechnology could also mean the end of disease as we #now it. +f you caught a cold
or contracted =+24, you'd 7ust drin# a teaspoon of li-uid that contained an army of
molecule-sized nanobots programmed to enter your body's cells and fight viruses. +f a
genetic disease ran in yourfamily, you'd ingest nanobots that would burrow into your
2N= and repair the defective . 1ven traditional plastic surgery would be eliminated, as
medical nanobots could change your eye color, alter the shape of your nose, or even give
you a complete sex change without surgery.


12. #HAT NE# O1:ECTS #ILL A**EAR 1ECAUSE OF
NANOTECHNOLOGY$
$erhaps the big story -- with mature nanotechnology, any ob7ect can morph into any
other imaginable ob7ect... truly a concept re-uiring personal exposure to fully
understand the significance and possibilities, but to get a grip on the idea, consider this8
&he age of digital matter -- multi-purpose, programmable machines, change the software,
and something completely different happens.
1F
= simple can opener or a complex asphalt paver are both, single purpose machines. =s#
them to clean your floor or build a radio tower and they %stare% bac# blan#ly. = computer
is different, it is a multi purpose machine --one machine that can do unlimited tas#s by
changing software... but only in the world of bits and information.
*ractal (obots are programmable machines that can do unlimited tas#s in the physical
world, the world of matter. Eoad the right software and the same %machines% can ta#e
out the garbage, paint your car, or construct an office building and later, wash that
building's windows. +n large groups, these devices exhibit what may be termed as macro
9hold in your hand: sized %nanobots %, possessing =N2 performing many of the
desirable features of mature nanomachines 9as described in 2rexler's, 1ngines of
3reation, 6nbounding the *uture, Nanosystems, etc.:.&his is the beginning of %2igital
@atter%.
&hese (obots loo# li#e %(ubic's 3ubes% that can %slide% over each other on command,
changing and moving in any overall shape desired for a particular tas#. &hese cubes
communicate with each other and share power through simple internal induction coils,
have batteries, a small computer and various #inds of internal magnetic and electric
inductive motors 9dependingon size: used to move over other cubes 9details here:. Dhen
sufficiently miniaturized 9below 0.1mm: and fabricated using photolithography
methods, cubes can also be programmed to assemble other cubes of smaller or larger size.
&his Oself-assembly% is an important feature that will drop cost dramatically.
&he point is R if you have enough of the cubes of small enough dimension, they can
slide over each other, or %morph% into any ob7ect with 7ust about any function, one can
imagine and program for such behavior. 3ubes of sufficiently miniaturized size could
be programmed to behave li#e the %&-<% &erminator (obot in the =rnold 4chwartznegger
movie, or a lawn chair... Nust about any animate or inanimate ob7ect.
*ractal 4hape 4hifting (obots have been in prototype for the last two years and this form
of %digital matter% to hit the commercial seen very soon. +n the near future, if you gaze out
your window and see something vaguely resembling an amoeba constructing an office
building, you'll #now what %+&% is.
&his is not to say individual purpose ob7ects will not be desirable... )ac# to cotton --
although 3ubes could mimic the exact appearance of a fuzzy down comforter 9a
blan#et:, if made out of cubes, it would be heavy and not have the same thermal
properties. =lthough through a heroic engineering effort, such a %blan#et% could be made
to insulate and pipe gasses li#e acomforter and even %levitate% slightly to mimic the
weight and mass, why bother when the real thing can be manufactured atom by atom, on
site, at about a meter a second 9depending on thermal considerations:.
=lso, %single purpose% components of larger machines will be built to ta#e advantage of
fantastic structural properties of diamondoid-)uc#ytube composites for such things
as thin, super strong aircraft parts. &oday, using the theoretical properties of such
materials, we can design an efficient, -uiet, super safe personal vertical ta#eoff
airocar. &his vehicle of science fiction is probably science future.
1"
13. #HICH INDUSTRIES SHOULD DISA**EAR 1ECAUSE
OF NANOTECHNOLOGY$:

1verything -- but software, everything will run on software, and general engineering, as it
relates to this new power over matter... and the entertainment industry. 6nfortunately,
there will still be insurance salesmen and lawyers, although not in my solar orbiting
city state. +f as 2rexler suggest, we can pave streets with self assembling solar
cells, + would tend to avoid energy stoc#s. @ature nanites could mine any material from
the earth, landfills or asteroids at very low cost and in great abundance.
&he mineral business is about to change. &raditional manufacturing will not be able to
compete with assembler technology and what happens to all those 7obs and the financial
mar#ets is a big, big issue that needs to be addressed now.
De will have a lot of obsolete mental baggage and $rogramming to throw out of
our heads... &raditional pursuits of money will need to be reevaluated when a personal
assembler can manufacture a fleet of $orch, that run circles around todays models.
=s 2rexler so intuitively points out, the best thing to do, is to get the whole world's society
educated and understanding what will and can happen with this technology. &his will help
people ma#e the transition and #eep mental, and financial meltdowns to a minimum.

1. #HICH NE# INDUSTRIES SHOULD A**EAR
1ECAUSE OF NANOTECHNOLOGY$
*uture generations are laughing as they read these wordsS
Eaughing at the utter inade-uacy and closed imagination of this writing... 4o consider
this a comically inade-uate list. ;owever, if they are laughing, + am satisfied and at
peace, as this means we made it through the transition 9although + fear it shall not be the last:.
@ega engineering for space habitation and transport in the 4olar 4ystem will have a
serious future. $eople will be surprised at how fast space develops, because right now, a
very bright core of nano-space enthusiasts have engineering plans, awaiting thearrival of
the molecular assembler. $eople li#e *orrest )ishop have wonderful plans for space
transport and development, capable of being implemented in surprisingly short time
frames. &his is artificial life, programmed to %grow% faster than natural systems. + thin#
@ars will be teraformed in less time than it ta#es to build a nuclear power plant in the later
half of the good old, bac#ward <0th century.
=n explosion in the arts and service industries are to be expected when no fields
need to be plowed for our daily bread, similar to the explosion when agriculture
became mechanized and efficient and the sons and daughters of farmers migrated to cities.
&his explosion will be exponentially greater. Eeisure time, much more leisure time,
more diversions... T Dhat professions should disappear because of nano-technology I
1/
2itch digger, tugboat captain R most professions where humans are now used as
%smart brawn%, or as %the best available computer%, including 7et fighter pilot, truc#
driver, surgeon, pyramid builder, steel wor#er, gold miner... not that there will not be
people doing these 7obs, 7ust for fun. 3harming libation venders have a good future, until
the =.+. De are 7ust on the verge for finding out how fre-uent and varied novel
situations can be.
1!. NE# ENTERTAIN3ENT ; E<*ERIENCES #HICH
#ILL 1E *OSSI1LE #ITH NANOTECHNOLOGY$
$erhaps the definition of life and entertainment will become blurred, but as + have
previously noted, you can have a E& of fun with 6tility *og and a super internet. +n
the near term, how about designing a %roller coaster% that self assembles
9traditional construction costs are not a consideration: and made of supermaterials .0-100
times as strong and much lighter than steel. &hat first drop can be made from 1F,000
feetU &he ride can last until you need the s#in replaced on your face. ;ow about a
tram ride through the ;imalayasI
=mateur underwater archeologist could map and recover ancient treasures
from the @editerranean in personal subs bristling with sensors. 2inosaur hunters could
send down microscopic probes into the 1arth searching for new fossil fields, then
release nanomachines to meticulously unearth finds. Kero G sports are yet to be defined.
&hese are simple examples written by a mind stuc# in this contemporary world view. &he
possibilities are as numerous as moves in 5-2 chess.
&he *oresight +nstitute suggest we now have the -uestion of not if the technology can
be developed, but when. + agree. &he this is a function of the general concept awareness in
society. &he media is pic#ing up 2rexler's ideas ever more -uic#ly now. $resently, two
=merican companies are #now to be engineering several %magical% assembler dependent
products right now, in anticipation of the arrival of the assembler. Dho #nows how many
blac# government pro7ects may have hundreds of millions in funding around the
world. &he militaraK understands 2rexler's ideas and what a weapons boon
nanotechnology will be.
0eep in mind ,nanotechnology is not the ultimate,nor the end of technologyS is nexpico
technology 9trillionth of a meter:I +f so, this technology would deal with %matter% on
a scale 1000 times smaller and emanate from deep inside the -uantum realm... Dhat does
this meanI $ower and understanding over space-time to engineer super luminal flight
9faster than light:I $erhaps. +f so, this would probably represent only the tip of this
-uantum weirdness iceberg. $ico &echnology may be developed with enhanced
intelligence made available through nanotechnology.
1L
1". *RO1LE3S #ITH CURRENT NANOTECHNOLOGY
RESEARCH IDEAS ENERGY RE4UIRE3ENTS:
ne of the big problems not fully appreciated with current ideas in nano technology
research is the energy re-uirements for synthesizing bul# materials and big molecules. +f
you wanted to build concrete for example atom by atom, then one has to seriously as#
whether it is best done using ingredients used for the manufacture of concrete which
is found in reasonable abundance or do we start with atoms. +f we start with atoms,
then every chemical bond in concrete must be synthesised bond, by bond, using
chemical steps that would at best use several times that bond energy to achieve the
desired effect. &he result is a an energy re-uirement to synthesise concrete that is way
beyond the energy re-uired to ma#e concrete from existing ingredients. *or this reason,
bul# materials will never be synthesised using nano technology methods.
Nanotechnology contributions would be limited to ma#ing simple precursors if that is
energetically feasible and low cost enzymes that speed up various chemical reactions.
:*;.(ross 5onding/
+n trying to synthesise very large molecules, li#e 2N=, the problems with cross
bonding and reactive intermediates bonding unfavourably with other molecules poses
a huge ris# to ma#ing perfect molecules. &he wor# of enzymes overcome most of
these difficulties. ;owever, enzymes have to be developed that co- exist with other
enzymes and other chemicals. +n nature, this is achieved through millions of years of
evolution where the right chemicals have been found to do the right 7ob through
natural selection pressures. )eyond that, compartmentalisation is used where chemicals
cannot co-exist through their design. &he compartmentalisation also re-uires various
molecules to transport materials through membranes separating the compartments. =ll
these operations re-uire a huge diversity of chemicals that have to be researched and
perfected so that they can co-exist with the previous set of chemicals.
:5;.Time +estrictions/
&o perfect such systems re-uire an unreasonable amount of effort on behalf of a nano
technologist to search out all combinations. +t re-uires considerable effort even now to
research 7ust one chemical in all its glorious wor#ing detail let alone combinations of
chemicals in a system.
:(;.3holesale $ista<es/
Nano-technologists hope to side-step many of the issues by using something the
e-uivalent of a robot arm to perform molecular level assembly. 3ertainly for mass
manufacturing, this is a wholesale mista#e as can be proved when energy considerations
are ta#en into account.
1.
:=;.+eality/
&he idea of molecular assembly is ta#en from 2N= synthesis where a small unit
called ribosome attaches to a strand of 2N=, moving along it 5 base pairs at a time to
read the genetic code. &he genetic code is a bit li#e binary code but binary codes have only
two levels which are 0 and 1. &he genetic code however consist of F different #inds of
bases formed into complementary pairs, and since each of these base pairs can have F
different values and when 5 sets of base pairs are read, there are FV5 different levels or /F
levels that 5 base pairs can code. &here are around <0 amino acids that are coded for by
base pairs leaving some of the remaining FF codes not to be used or to doubly code up
existing amino acids. &he amino acids are strung together to ma#e a polypeptide chain
and this polypeptide chain is the precursor for each of the different chemicals that is found
in our body. &he polypetides are processed into various proteins which could be
anything from a nutrient to an enzyme.
+n all of these operations, the ribosome is the #ey component that translates millions of
years of evolution coded into the 2N= as information into actual chemicals that ma#e up
living organisms. +t is too tempting and too far a leap to thin# that all that 2N= technology
could be replicated in the lab with simple robot arms to ma#e nano- technology machines.
:';.'nergy (onsumption/
*or one thing a robot arm that pic#s up a precursor and attaches them precisely to a
growing molecule is particularly energy inefficient. ?ou have to pic# up the precursor
from one place and place it an another which re-uires ;6G1 amounts of energy in
relation to the actual wor# accomplished.
:>;.5iological 6ystems ? 'nergy (onser7ation
+n biological system, the currency for energy is the energy carried by =&$ 9=denosine
&ri-$hosphate:. 1very time an action is re-uired usually a molecule of =&$ is
involved and energy is absorbed from =&$ which is then recycled. +ts common
for biochemists to cite reactions in terms of the number of =&$ molecules consumed per
reaction. 4o some chemicals re-uire 1 =&$ to accomplish its reactions while others
including very large molecules re-uire hundreds to thousands of =&$ molecules to
accomplish all its tas#s. &o move a ribosome 5 base pairs while its attached to a 2N=
re-uires huge numbers of =&$ molecules to be consumed. )ut a lot of it is recovered when
the final protein it ma#es is bro#en down as it gets recycled which means that overall,
the process of reading 2N= and ma#ing macro molecules is fairly energy efficient.
3ompare that scenario where a robot arm with dimensions approaching a fraction of a
micron is used to synthesise molecules. 1very time the arm swings around to pic# a
chemical and place it at the right place to synthesise an exotic chemical, it spends billions
of =&$ energy e-uivalents in doing mechanical wor#. =s the robot arm re-uires computers
and sensors to ma#e them wor#, we are now counting into trillions of =&$ energy
e-uivalents ma#e one chemical bond in the newly synthesised product. &here is no getting
away from this reality of the total energy cost in ma#ing a new materials from scratch.
Nano technology using this type of universal assembler is clearly nonsense and
1!
doomed to failure in all but a handful of cases where small -uantities of exotic chemicals
are involved.
:-;.'nergy >or (omputers ? +obot *rms/
+t does not matter how small a scale we go, if we use robot arms that have to be swung
around, the energy to drive it and the energy to ma#e its feedbac# system in the form of
computers wor# would be a tremendous waste compared to ma#ing the product by bul#
techni-ues.
@any of these research proposals have their roots from wor# done with 4&1@ 94canning
&unnelling 1lectron @icroscope: probes. &hey have been used to image single atoms and
also to move atoms about but all in all, the realities of molecular assembly using 4&1@s
are being escaped here. &o put a few atoms in place has cost trillions upon trillions of =&$
e-uivalent and there is no way to ma#e savings on that energy expenditure except
apparently through miniaturisation.
:,;.Nature@s +obot *rm/
)y ma#ing the robot arm smaller more energy efficiency can be achieved but still you
need a computer to sense and control the operation of the robot arm which means you still
end up spending billions in =&$ energy -uivalent to ma#e the system wor#. &he only
reason why 2N= wor#s is because the ribosome sits on the 2N= and moves along three
base pairs of the 2N= strand to read information. &he energy re-uired to transfer
information from 2N= to final
product is still high but the product is burned to recycle the energy which means that
in total no more than a couple of hundred to a couple of thousand =&$ e-uivalent is
used up per product molecule 9i.e. energy used from start to finish including pre- cursors,
membrane transport etc.:. &hat is why replication and protein synthesis in nature wor#s.
4pending and recovering energy is the reality of a biological assembly system that reads
information stored in a molecule, converts the information briefly to products before
recycling them to recover the energy spent.
:2;.'nergy %f (hemical 6ynthesis/
= man made robot arm does not recycle lost energy. 4o where is the 7ustification by
nanotechnologists in their claims for ma#ing food from a handful of elements at some
time in the futureI &here is no 7ustification for such a claimU +ts far easier and better
done using biological organismsUU
Dhat of ma#ing concrete and other structures with universal assemblerI &his again is
nonsense and it is far easier done with bul# chemicals and bul# processes where
minerals and starting materials are extracted efficiently from the ground in their native
state and processed to yield the desired products using conventional chemical processing
steps. &he development of enzymes that speed up reactions is extremely useful which is
best once again synthesised from chemicals that are available from the lab shelves
rather than synthesised in limited -uantities by a nano-assembler. 3ommercial realities
dictate that its wiser to aim for a chemical that can be synthesised readily in the
<0
lab rather than an ultra expensive exotic chemical that can only be built in small
-uantities with a universal assembler.
:A;.&ac< %f 6elf +epair/
=nother sub7ect not fully appreciated about the biological system is the self repair systems
built in at all levels from repairing damaged 2N= code to destroying molecules to re-
manufacture them for re-use. 4mall machines need self repair at all levels to cope with the
high brea#age rates found at the smaller scales. Nanotechnologists cannot even begin to
address the -uestion right now because they don't have any nano technology machines ready
for this wor# to be carried outU
1#. NANOTECHNOLOGY CHALLENGES2 RIS)S AND
ETHICS
&he most immediate challenge in nanotechnology is that we need to learn more about
materials and their properties at the nanoscale. 6niversities and corporations across the world
are rigorously studying how atoms fit together to form larger structures. De're still learning
about how -uantum mechanics impact substances at the nanoscale.
)ecause elements at the
nanoscale behave differently
than they do in their bul#
form, there's a concern that
some nanoparticles could be
toxic. 4ome doctors worry
that the nanoparticles are so
small, that they could easily
cross the %!oo&+%rain
%arrier, a membrane that
protects the brain from
harmful chemicals in the
bloodstream. +f we plan on
using nanoparticles to coat
everything from our
clothing to our highways,
we need to be sure that they
won't poison us.
3losely related to the
#nowledge barrier is the
technical barrier. +n order for the incredible predictions regarding nanotechnology to come
true, we have to find ways to mass produce nano-size products li#e transistors and nanowires.
Dhile we can use nanoparticles to build things li#e tennis rac#ets and ma#e wrin#le-free
fabrics, we can't ma#e really complex microprocessor chips with nanowires yet.
<1
Apocalyptic Goo
1ric 2rexler, the man who introduced the word
nanotechnology, presented a frightening apocalyptic vision --
self-replicating nanorobots malfunctioning, duplicating
themselves a trillion times over, rapidly consuming the entire
world as they pull carbon from the environment to build more
of themselves. +t's called the =gre" goo% scenario, where a
synthetic nano-size device replaces all organic material.
=nother scenario involves nanodevices made of organic
material wiping out the 1arth -- the =green goo= scenario.
&here are some hefty social
concerns about nanotechnology too.
Nanotechnology may also allow us
to create more powerful weapons,
both lethal and non-lethal. 4ome
organizations are concerned that
we'll only get around to examining
the ethical implications of
nanotechnology in weaponry after
these devices are built. &hey urge
scientists and politicians to examine
carefully all the possibilities of nanotechnology before designing increasingly powerful
weapons.
+f nanotechnology in medicine ma#es it possible for us to enhance ourselves physically, is
that ethicalI +n theory, medical nanotechnology could ma#e us smarter, stronger and give us
other abilities ranging from rapid healing to night vision. 4hould we pursue such goalsI
3ould we continue to call ourselves human, or would we become transhuman -- the next step
on man's evolutionary pathI 4ince almost every technology starts off as very expensive,
would this mean we'd create two races of people -- a wealthy race of modified humans and a
poorer population of unaltered peopleI De don't have answers to these -uestions, but several
organizations are urging nanoscientists to consider these implications now, before it becomes
too late.
Not all -uestions involve altering the human body -- some deal with the world of finance and
economics. +f molecular manufacturing becomes a reality, how will that impact the world's
economyI =ssuming we can build anything we need with the clic# of a button, what happens
to all the manufacturing 7obsI +f you can create anything using a replicator, what happens to
currencyI Dould we move to a completely electronic economyI Dould we even need
moneyI
Dhether we'll actually need to answer all of these -uestions is a matter of debate. @any
experts thin# that concerns li#e grey goo and transhumans are at best premature, and
probably unnecessary. 1ven so, nanotechnology will definitely continue to impact us as we
learn more about the enormous potential of the nanoscale.
14. THE FUTURE OF NANOTECHNOLOGY
+n the world of %4tar &re#,% machines called re(!iators can produce practically any physical
ob7ect, from weapons to a steaming cup of 1arl Grey tea. Eong considered to be exclusively
the product of science fiction, today some people believe replicators are a very real
possibility. &hey call it mo!eu!ar manu'aturing, and if it ever does become a reality, it
could drastically change the world.
<<
=toms and molecules stic# together because they
have complementary shapes that loc# together, or
charges that attract. Nust li#e with magnets, a
positively charged atom will stic# to a negatively
charged atom. =s millions of these atoms are pieced
together by nanomachines, a specific product will
begin to ta#e shape. &he goal of molecular
manufacturing is to manipulate atoms individually
and place them in a pattern to produce a desired
structure.
&he first step would be to develop nanoscopic
machines, called assem%!ers, that scientists can
program to manipulate atoms and molecules at will.
(ice 6niversity $rofessor (ichard 4malley points out that it would ta#e a single nanoscopic
machine millions of years to assemble a meaningful amount of material. +n order for
molecular manufacturing to be practical, you would need trillions of assemblers wor#ing
together simultaneously. 1ric 2rexler believes that assemblers could first replicate
themselves, building other assemblers. 1ach generation would build another, resulting in
exponential growth until there are enough assemblers to produce ob7ects.
Assem%!ers might ha.e mo.ing (arts !ike the nanogears
in this one(t &ra/ing0
&rillions of assemblers and replicators could fill an area smaller than a cubic millimeter, and
could still be too small for us to see with the na#ed eye. =ssemblers and replicators could
wor# together to automatically construct products, and could eventually replace all traditional
labor methods. &his could vastly decrease manufacturing costs, thereby ma#ing consumer
goods plentiful, cheaper and stronger. 1ventually, we could be able to replicate anything,
including diamonds, water and food. *amine could be eradicated by machines that fabricate
foods to feed the hungry.
<5
Nanotechnology may have its biggest impact on the medical industry. $atients will drin#
fluids containing nanorobots programmed to attac# and reconstruct the molecular structure of
cancer cells and viruses. &here's even speculation that nanorobots could slow or reverse the
aging process, and life expectancy could increase significantly. Nanorobots could also be
programmed to perform delicate surgeries -- such nanosurgeons could wor# at a level a
thousand times more precise than the sharpest scalpel Bsource8 +nternational Nournal of
4urgeryC. )y wor#ing on such a small scale, a nanorobot could operate without leaving the
scars that conventional surgery does. =dditionally, nanorobots could change your physical
appearance. &hey could be programmed to perform cosmetic surgery, rearranging your atoms
to change your ears, nose, eye color or any other physical feature you wish to alter.
Nanotechnology has the potential to have a positive effect on the environment. *or instance,
scientists could program airborne nanorobots to rebuild the thinning ozone layer. Nanorobots
could remove contaminants from water sources and clean up oil spills. @anufacturing
materials using the %ottom+u( metho& of nanotechnology also creates less pollution than
conventional manufacturing processes. ur dependence on non-renewable resources would
diminish with nanotechnology. 3utting down trees, mining coal or drilling for oil may no
longer be necessary -- nanomachines could produce those resources.
@any nanotechnology experts feel that these applications are well outside the realm of
possibility, at least for the foreseeable future. &hey caution that the more exotic applications
are only theoretical. 4ome worry that nanotechnology will end up li#e virtual reality -- in
other words, the hype surrounding nanotechnology will continue to build until the limitations
of the field become public #nowledge, and then interest 9and funding: will -uic#ly dissipate.
18. *OTENTIAL SIDE EFFECTS:
Dhat will happen to the global order when assemblers and automated engineering
eliminate the need for most international tradeI ;ow will society change when individuals
can live indefinitelyI Dhat will we do when replicating assemblers can ma#e almost
anything without human laborI Dhat will we do when =+ systems can thin# faster than
humansI
:*;.The +ight Tools in the 3rong ,ands/
=s with computers, nanotechnology and programmable assemblers could become ordinary
household ob7ects. +t's not too li#ely that the average person will get hold of and launch a
nuclear weapon, but imagine a deranged white separatist launching an army of nanobots
programmed to #ill anyone with brown eyes or curly hair. =nd even if nanotechnology
remains in the hands of governments, thin# what a 4talin or a 4addam ;ussein could do.
Aast armies of tiny, specialized #illing machines that could be built and dispatched in a day>
nano-sized surveillance devices or probes that could be implanted in the brains of people
without their #nowledge. &he potential misuses of nanotechnology are vast.
:5;.*ttac< of the Biller NanobotsC/
<F
=nd what about the old sci-fi fear that robots will evolve greater intelligence than humans,
become sentient, and ta#e over the worldI 3ertainly nanomachines might replicate and
spread faster than we could control them. 2rexler posits that a little thin#ing ahead could
address this problem. *or example, self-replicating assemblers could be programmed to
compare their instruction sets an destroy any copies with the slightest deviation. &hat way,
mutant nanobots could be contained before they did any damage.

ne point most fail to realize when first considering the effects of nanotechnology on
population 9the demise and reversal ofaging:, is the same nanotechnology will open up outer
space with all its unimaginable -uantities of material, energy and elbowroom, with truly
inexpensive access, great safety 9massively redundant systems: made possible by the new
economics of self replicating machinery. %&he 4olar 4ystem could accommodate the
population of the 1arth a billion times over, 9living: in style.% =lso to be considered is the
fact once nanotechnology arrives, this is not the end of discovery and technology. +t is a
futile endeavor... to consider how population is affected by this technology viewed with a
perspective of arrival, then a flat curve, through to infinity.
20. CONCLUSION:
;umanity will be faced with a powerful, accelerated social revolutions as a result of
nanotechnology. +n the near future, a team of scientists will succeed in constructing the first
nao-sized robot capable f self replication. 3onsumer goods will become plentiful,
inexpensive, smart, and durable. @edicine will ta#e a -uantum leap forward. 4pace travel
and colonization will become safe and affordable. *or these and other reasons global life
styles will change radically and human behavior drastically impacted.
REFERENCES:
1. www.howstuffwor#s.com
<. http8GGen.wi#ipedia.orgGwi#iGNanotechnology
5. www.wisegee#s.com
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