 | Ed Martin is owner of Healthy Choices, Inc. of Wichita. Ed has been involved in the energy and health fields for over 30 years, focusing on pioneering new technologies and bringing cutting-edge products and services to the marketplace. You can reach Ed at; 316-207-7343, or by e-mail at healthychoices1@cox.net |
Health & Wellness
2006-11-01 15:34:00
Future of nanotechnology
ANSWER: In the past, this column has primarily focused on the current state of nanotechnology. We have discussed how nanotechnology has affected products presently on the market that we use every day such as cosmetic creams that are more effective, clothing that resists stains or patches that we can wear to have more energy. We have also looked into the future by discussing the idea of tiny diagnostic robots that can be inserted into the bloodstream and then travel throughout the body gathering data, taking pictures, and possibly even performing some medical procedures. However, all of these topics barely scratch the surface of what experts believe will be developed as the technology of nano-based science and engineering evolves.
In an earlier column, I explained that "Nano" is a Greek word used in the metric system to mean "billionth" - a nanometer (nm) is a billionth of a meter. This is about 1/50,000th the width of a human hair or about 1/100,000th the thickness of normal office paper. Nanotechnologists will typically be working in the range of 1 to100nm as they attempt to create new advancements in a wide variety of fields. After writing several columns answering questions regarding advancements in nanotechnology, I am finding that most readers fall into one of three categories: (1) those who have no interest, (2) those who think nanotechnology is all science fiction, and (3) those who are very interested and want to know more about what the future holds.
For those who think nanotechnology is all science fiction, they need to remember that, in many cases, science fiction writers have predicted the future with amazing accuracy. In Jules Verne’s book 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, he envisioned submarines that were impossible in his time, but which are commonplace in today’s Navy. Many of the adventures of Buck Rogers no longer seem that outlandish, and Dick Tracey’s 2-way wrist radio that seemed so futuristic when we were kids is now not much more than a variation of the cell phones and PDA’s that are available to everyone. Even the death ray is now just a variation of today’s “Star Wars” technology that is being developed and tested.
When we discuss how experts believe the future will be impacted through developments in nanotechnology, we are seeing a future that is far more difficult to comprehend than that predicted by the science fiction writers in their time. We will be discussing a future with benefits that go far beyond anything we have ever experienced. However, anything that can be used for good can also be used for evil, so the potential dangers are equally as large. Also, whenever new technologies are developed, we must look at the environmental risks inherent with their production, use, disposal, etc.
Today’s question regarding how the future will be impacted by nanotechnology is representative of what several people have asked. This is a very broad question, and it deserves an equally broad answer. To even give a brief overview of the various issues associated with developments in nanotechnology will require more space than what is available in today’s column. In fact, it will require the space in several columns. My intent is to investigate these nanotechnology issues in more detail and report them to you in monthly segments over the next several issues of this newspaper. Until then, when it comes to Nanotechnology, think big in regard to the scope of what all will be done, and think small in regard to the size of nano-based products.
