We have always been awed by the super-hero movies, where no matter what might attack the hero, he can always heal himself! He is always super strong, super healthy and is super. Well, this might no longer be science fiction! With the flourishing of nanotechnology, anyone can become superheroes. So what is nanotechnology? And how is this possible?
Anything and everything in the universe is made up of atoms. These are the very basic entities of existence. There are several ways in which atoms arrange, thus forming different matter. Nanotechnology aims at manipulating atoms and building machines in the molecular level by stacking atoms together in different ways following different mechanisms. By this kind of manipulation, we will be enabled to turn anything into everything. With this ability in our hands, we can step into a world that we never imagined would be possible, a world filled with resources, a world where we can turn anything that is undesirable to something that we crave for, a world of unparalleled supremacy, a world of ABUNDANCE!
We can make assembly machines much smaller even than living cells! We can make indestructible materials that are stronger and lighter than any that are available today! We can foster a forum to explore the world beyond the earth by forging better space-crafts and developing better fuel resources. We can create tiny devices that can travel along capillaries in the human body and mend the living cells! We can heal any disease just by re-arranging the atoms of the affected cells! Imagine being able to cure cancer by just manipulating the infected cells and replacing them with healthier ones! It would be a god-send for so many suffering from incurable damage in their living tissues! We can make our bodies speedier and stronger than ever before thus unleashing a world of super humans! With the development of nanotechnology in full bloom, we will be able to make machines down to the size of viruses, machines that would work at speeds that none of us can yet appreciate!
The evolution of technology has witnessed the scaling down of the size of the devices. Computers once occupied entire rooms! With the dawn of microprocessors and microchips, mankind has brought fully functional computing devices to our hands. The advent of nanotechnology will outdo all existing technology and bring into existence a superior outmatch, a computing device that is concise yet super fast. Many researchers in university and industrial laboratories around the globe have already begun experimenting on developing molecular switches, memory devices and other structures that could be incorporated into a protein-based computer. Molecular electronic systems are not far out of reach.
“The race to bio-chips has already started!” –VLSI Research Inc., San Jose.
The biggest problem that nanotechnologists face is the unpredictability of how the molecules might fold. Nature has its own way of arranging molecules. Controlling the way in which atoms arrange thus forming different proteins is the basis of nanotechnology. Once engineers find a mechanism to manipulate the arranging of atoms or folding of protein molecules in a predefined way, then the rest will be history. Scientists have now perceived different solutions for this. Some proteins are found to be able to wield almost any reactive molecules with the precision of programmed machines, even tolerating acid or vacuum, freezing or baking! These proteins are called assemblers. Assemblers will let us place atoms in almost any reasonable arrangement. They will let us build ALMOST EVERYTHING that the laws of nature allow to exist!
For instance, an enzyme-like machine will be made which will add Carbon atoms to a small spot, layer on layer. If bonded correctly, The atoms will build up to form a fine, flexible diamond fiber having over fifty times the strength as the same weight of aluminium. Aerospace companies will line up to snap up such fibers by the ton!
Advances in technologies of medicine, space, computation and production: all depend on our ability to arrange atoms. Thus matter will become a programmable medium under the full control of mankind. The very basic elements of creation will be manipulated to our needs! With nanotechnology, we will be able to remake our world or destroy it!
“There will be no idea of scarcity of any sort. We will have infinite resources! With the flourishing of nanotechnology, technology will be seen as a resource liberating mechanism!” –Jason Silva, American technology enthusiast.
The Thinker 