A Short History Of Nanotechnology

A Short History Of Nanotechnology

The idea of building machines in microscopic sizes and making them function like construction bots for producing organizing and rearranging objects at molecular level is not easy to believe when there is no such technology present. This concept was put forward by Richard Feynman in 1959 in his talk ‘There’s Plenty of Room at the Bottom’. This was the first talk to deal with the principles of nanotechnology but this was not a new idea.

Before Feynman had talked about this concept of nanotechnology, it was already proposed by James Clerk Maxwell in 1867. He had proposed an experiment of little entity called Maxwell’s Demon capable of handling individual molecules.

Richard Adolf Zsigmondy was the first to use nanometer for characterizing particle size in 1914. He determined it as 1/10,00,000 of millimeter from which he developed the first system classification based on particle size in the nanometer range.

Moore’s Law had best codified the concept of the influences. Gordon Moore predicted on Intel in 1965 about how modern circuitry would pack more features as more devices were produced for the market. This law has held strong for nearly 50 years.

Nanotechnology was first defined by Norio Taniguchi of the Tokyo Science University in 1974. It was the processing of, separation, consolidation and deformation of materials by one atom or one molecule.

The concept of nanotechnology to engineering through the concept of molecular manufacturing was for the first time applied by Eric Drexler. He suggested that if atoms were viewed like marbles then molecules would be tight collections of these marbles. These molecules became normal scaled tools like motors when snapped together. Despite the size of nanoscale, these tools operated in the same way as their large counterparts did. The moving parts of the nano machines were formed by atoms held together by the strength of their own bonds. Drexler had finally envisioned that these nano bots would be used as assemblers for the purpose of putting together atoms into any shape.

By applying this simple vision of molecule manufacturing to industries, Drexler claimed that coal can change into diamond and computer chips can be made from sand. By reorganizing the atoms that make these materials, the process will be considerably shortened and their valuable products would be produced at a faster speed. This was the reason nanotechnology was presented by Drexler as a scientific field that exclusively revolved around molecule manufacturing.

Mental_floss’ step-by-step guide to destroying civilization with nanotechnology. 3D animation created with motion capture technology.
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Nanotechnology as Career

Nanotechnology as Career

Nanotechnology – the science of the miniature, and the technology of the future – is one of the most exciting and wide area of research which may lead to the greatest technological advances of the 21st century. It is a global phenomenon and an emerging field, that finds its way into a myriad of industrial applications spanning across all areas of science and technology. A form of molecular engineering, it is the technology associated with the creation and scrutiny of minute objects, measuring between 1 to 100 nanometers. Nanotechnology can be defined as the application of science, engineering and technology to develop novel materials and devices in different fields in the nano-range.

‘Nano’ in Greek means dwarf. Nanometer (nm) is a unit of measurement used to measure very small particles like atoms and molecules. One nanometer is equal to one-billionth (10-9) of a meter. Entirely different from bulk material, nano-materials are 5,000 to 50,000 times smaller than the diameter of a human hair. These light but strong, transparent materials are very active and aggressive in any chemical reaction. Nano-materials can be mixed with strong or weak materials to make them thousand times stronger and more efficient. Carbon and diamond are super examples of nano-materials. The concept of Nanotechnology originated in 1959 and was founded by the American physicist Richard P Feynmam. But the term ‘Nanotechnology’ was first used in 1974 by Japanese scientist Prof. Norio Taniguchi at the Tokyo Science University. However it was introduced to the world in 1986 by K. Eric Drexler, an American Engineer and the founder of Foresight Nanotech Institute.

Nanotechnology is a unique and special branch of science that essentially combines physics, chemistry, biology, engineering etc. Sometimes known as molecular manufacturing, it deals with the design and manufacture of extremely small electronic circuits and mechanical devices built at the molecular level of matter. The application of Nanotechnology will open new avenues of research in the world of science and engineering in almost every field, from medicine to fabrics. Due to this, the relatively new field is fast emerging as the favorite of all kinds of technological arena and will be one of the most significant enabling technologies in the future.

Even though the field is popular abroad, it is quite recently that Indian industries have started realizing the commercial viability of Nanotechnology. In India, Nanotechnology is at its infancy stage and is targeted towards the main streams like electronics, healthcare markets, and other industrial products. Many scientific institutions have been doing Research and Development (R&D) in this field. The scope and application of Nanotechnology is tremendous and mind-boggling and it is one of the hottest career option available to Indian Engineering graduates. It is an apt career for those who have a scientific bent of mind and a passion for solving mysteries of the minutest molecules. Students with a science and engineering background and even mathematics with physics background can pursue Nanotechnology as a career. Candidates with M.Tech in Nanotechnology are in great demand both in India and abroad.

It is a powerful technology which aids the development of products with futuristic performance. All major sectors of life will be effected by this new area. The two major categories of Nanotechnolgy are Nanoscale technology and Molecular manufacturing. Nanoscale technology covers small structures and can be used for introducing stronger materials, better medicines, faster computers and so on. Molecular manufacturing is an attempt at building mechanical and chemical manufacturing systems that join molecules together.

From Lawrence Berkeley National Labs to Silicon Valley, researchers are manipulating particles at the atomic level, ushering in potential cures for cancer, clothes that don’t stain, and solar panels as thick as a sheet of paper. www.kqed.org