Giant Steps in Nanotech
Look out! The nanobots are coming.
Little by little, nanotech is losing its sci-fi image of being the science that risks the earth being devoured by grey goo!
For anybody who wants to know more about nanotechnology, it’s well worth watching this video by Dr. Richard Jones, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Research and Innovation at the University of Sheffield.
It’s quite a long video, but gives an informed and balanced view of the science and its implications that’s accessible and easily understood by the layman.
Birth of nanotech
He discusses the origins of the science from physicist Richard Feynman’s description of a process of manipulating individual atoms and molecules.
He also talks about Eric Drexler’s book, “Engines of Creation” which was a controversial but influential vision of nanotech and has informed the subject as it has appeared in the popular psyche.
Scooby Doo and the Naysayers
Jones goes on to describe Prince Charles’ warnings against the technology and deliberate attempts by US environmental protestors to frame the science as meddling with the basic structure of atoms and, therefore, life itself.
The video gives the low-down on nanotech and Jones is quite a witty guy. He discusses how the science has been a fertile field for science fiction and how he’d recently watched an episode of Scooby Doo in which he discovered that Scooby Snacks contain nanobots that are used for canine enhancement!
mmmm… I find this part really interesting, Prof Jones says that “Nanotechnology is not defined by one single type of technology, it’s rather a different thing, people talk about nanotechnology compared to nuclear engineering or genetic modification as technologies but nanotechnologies are a bit different from that, because they are not really defined as a single thing, it is defined by a length scale”
Although interesting but also I find this a bit confusing because this turns everything now into some application of nanotechnology, I was wondering if anybody could limit this definition to certain aspects.
Then I found Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_nanotechnology_applications limiting nanotechnology to these applications:
1 Medicine, 1.1 Diagnostics, 1.2 Drug delivery, 1.3 Tissue engineering
2 Chemistry and environment, 2.1 Catalysis, 2.2 Filtration
3 Energy, 3.1 Reduction of energy consumption, 3.2 Increasing the efficiency of energy production, 3.3 The use of more environmentally friendly energy systems, 3.4 Recycling of batteries
4 Information and communication, 4.1 Memory Storage, 4.2 Novel semiconductor devices, 4.3 Novel optoelectronic devices, 4.4 Displays, 4.5 Quantum computers
5 Heavy Industry, 5.1 Aerospace, 5.2 Construction, 5.3 Refineries, 5.4 Vehicle manufacturers
6 Consumer goods, 6.1 Foods, 6.1.1 Nano-foods, 6.2 Household, 6.3 Optics, 6.4 Textiles, 6.5 Cosmetics, 6.6 Agriculture
But now it makes me wonder if it is possible to add more applications in the future!
Hi Bassem.
I found this really interesting:
http://www.azonano.com/Details.asp?ArticleID=1718
This one intrigued me in particular:
“In China and U.K., nanocarbon fibres have been produced. The production of nanofibres offers the potential of using the woven reinforcement as body armor. The future soldier’s uniform would incorporate soft woven ultra strong fabric with capabilities to become rigid when a soldier breaks his legs and would protect him against pollution, poisoning and enemy hazards.”
All these developments are great. But is nanotechnology affordable to everyone?