Nanotechnology: The Future of Everything

Group 2

Jonathan Ashworth, Jason Hill, Ryan Long, and Joye Turnage

Key Words: Nanotechnology, Assemblers, Replicators, Nanometer, atom, Moore’s Law

Nanotechnology is an all-encompassing term that covers many areas of research dealing with objects that are measured in nanometers. A nanometer (nm) is a billionth of a meter, or a millionth of a millimeter. Nanotechnology is a hybrid of science, combining engineering and chemistry (science.com/nanotechnology). The basic idea is, instead of pushing heaps of atoms together in an unorganized, imprecise manner, to manipulate each individual atom of an object. This leads to being able to put atoms in a specific pattern, and allows things to be scaled on the nanometer level. This technology will affect the business world on every level. From Eddie Bauer using nanoparticles to make stain repellent pants, to using it to attack cancer cells inside the body.

In order for nanotechnology to be successful, there were three major things that had to happen. Number one, scientists had to be able to manipulate atoms individually. In 1990, IBM researchers showed that it is possible to manipulate single atoms. They positioned 35 xenon atoms on the surface of a nickel crystal, using an atomic force microscopy instrument (science.com/nanotechnology). The second thing was that nanoscopic machines called assemblers had to be developed. Assemblers are machines that can be programmed to influence atoms and molecules at will. This, although, posed a problem because it would take thousands of years for a single assembler to produce any kind of material one atom at a time, hence the third item. Trillions of assemblers were needed to produce products in a reasonable amount of time. To solve this problem, replicators were created. Repicators are programmed to build more assemblers.

Trillions of assemblers and replicators will fill an area smaller than a cubic millimeter, and will still be too small for us to see with the naked eye. Assemblers and replicators will work together like hands to automatically construct products, and will eventually replace all traditional labor methods. This will vastly decrease manufacturing costs, thereby making consumer goods plentiful, cheaper and stronger (www.uk.geocities.com/nanotechnology).

The future of Nanotechnology shows no signs of having any limitations. Because our current technology has reached its limits, as far as the scaling down of objects and materials is concerned, nanotechnology will become very important. For example, in the computer industry, the ability to shrink the size of transistors on silicon microprocessors will soon reach its limits. Nanotechnology will be needed to create a new generation of computer components. Molecular computers could include storage devices capable of storing trillions of bytes of information in a structure as small as a sugar cube.

To sustain Moore's Law, transistors must be scaled down to at least nine nanometers   by 2016, according to the Consortium of International Semiconductor Companies. If this is achieved, future chips will have billions of transistors. For consumers, continued progress means faster computing and greater data storage. As for cost, consider that a single transistor cost $1 in 1968; today the cost is $1 per 50 million transistors. In 1965, 30 transistors were put on a single chip. Just six years later, Intel introduced its first chip, which held 2,000 transistors. Today's chips have 40 million transistors with feature sizes ranging from 130 to 180 nanometers, and Intel recently announced that it has broken into the nanoscale with transistors whose smallest features are just 90 nanometers wide (www.nano.gov/html/facts/Moores_Law.htm).

Not only will the world of computers and technology be influenced by the rapidly growing use of nanotechnology, even the medical field will see advancement because of it; in fact nanotechnology’s biggest impact might be in the medical world. Patients can drink a fluid that contains nanorobots. These robots will be programmed to pinpoint and attack cancer inside of the body, reconstructing its molecular structure to make it harmless. There is even speculation that nanorobots could slow down the aging process, and increase life expectancy. These robots could also be used to perform fragile surgeries. These “nanosurgeons” could work at a level of precision a thousand times greater than the sharpest scalpel. Because this work is done on such a small scale, surgeries could be performed and not even leave scars like conventional surgery.

Nanotechnology is expected to affect our everyday life through bettering products that we currently use for usual tasks. For example there is battery for cell phones and laptops that is made of nano-based composites that will boost the life of your battery significantly. It would allow you to be on the phone or online all day, or for several days, without having to plug in. Automakers are working to create a lightweight, nano-based material that would reduce the weight of vehicles by nearly 70%, therefore cutting gas consumption incredibly. This material, although weighing less, is expected to be 4 to 5 times stronger than typical material. Nanotechnology can also improve exploration for oil by replacing mud pumped power drills with a new type of drill engines that can be sent down a deep shaft and directly connected to drills to speed up the process and cut costs of drilling a mile or more underground (www.nsti.org/news/item).

Although this type of technology seems futuristic, it is being implemented right now in several products, and in all kinds of markets. There really is no facet of life where the implication of this technology can’t make an improvement or advancement. It is moving technology, medicine, business, clothing, sporting goods, and several other areas of our lives into a realm of incredible productivity and efficiency. It is probable that the development of nanotechnology will substantially change the manufacturing process of almost every product. Whatever happens nanotechnology is likely to be the human race's greatest scientific achievement to date and will completely change all our lives. In the words of Jack Uldrich and Deb Newberry, in the title of their new book, The Next Big Thing is Really Small.

References

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Current Nanotechnology Applications. Retrieved April 20, 2006, from the World Wide Web:

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McCarthy, Vance. (Mar 27, 2006). Glowing Future for Nano in Energy To Be Explored at Nanotech2006 in Boston. Retrieved April 20,2006 from the World Wide Web: http://www.nsti.org/news/item.html?id=49

Motorized Nanocars, Nanogenerators, and Nanomedical Advances. (April 17, 2006). Retrieved April 20, 2006 from the World Wide Web:

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Nanoparticles Annihilate Prostate Cancer. (April 11, 2006). Retrieved April 20, 2006 from the World Wide Web:

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