Nanotechnology involves the study and application of constructs measured in nanometres. Carbon nanotubes are an example of a nanoscale material, being 500 times stronger and ten times lighter than steel. Nanotechnology aims to control the structure of matter, allowing for the creation of stronger materials and small machines. Advanced nanotechnology could lead to the development of medical devices that repair tissue damage and allow for indefinite life.
Nanotechnologies are the scientific, theoretical and engineering disciplines associated with technological constructs whose dimensions are measured in nanometres, or billionths of a metre. An example could be the study and application of carbon nanotubes, tiny carbon tubes a few nanometers long (about 1/50,000 of the width of a human hair), with lengths ranging from a few tens of nanometers to a few millimetres. Carbon nanotubes are the strongest and stiffest material ever discovered on Earth, 500 times stronger and ten times lighter than steel.
To appreciate the value of nanotechnology, one must realize that virtually all technology in the history of civilization has been built in complete ignorance of its nanoscale properties. However, these properties have a huge influence on the bulk characteristics of a material at the macro scale. For example, modern metal rebar generally has trillions of tiny holes and nanoscale deformations, due to the inaccuracy of the manufacturing process. Overall, these tiny holes significantly reduce the strength of the material, making it easier for bullets or explosions to penetrate. If armor were manufactured precisely to the nanoscale, it could be made many times more effective. The study of these properties falls within the domain of nanotechnology.
In addition to working on how to make bulk materials stronger or more useful, nanotechnology also focuses on small machines or structures. For example, the transistors in the computer you’re using right now are probably within 50 nanometers of each other, designed to maximize their available space. In the near future, circuit designs will start pushing the limits of miniaturization using the current paradigm, forcing a switch to some other approach. Nanotechnology scientists are studying exactly this, and billions of dollars are poured into the field every year.
The ultimate goal of nanotechnology is the precise control of the structure of matter. With the latest nanotech manufacturing device, dirt could be converted into thin steaks, using networks of nanoscale manipulators that rearrange carbon molecules into suitable patterns. The atoms in both are the same – lots of carbon – just their arrangement is different. Advanced nanotechnology could allow us to build nanoscale medical devices that swim through our arteries, removing plaque and repairing tissue damage. Such machines could one day allow us to live indefinitely, simply by repairing the damage caused by aging before it builds up and becomes fatal.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
