NANOTECHNOLOGY: AN IMAGINATION OF GOLDEN TOMORROW!

When it comes to Nanotechnology two words strikes in our mind, nm (1nm=m) and Nano Car by Ratan Tata!!!!!!!Nanotechnology is defined as the study and use of structures between 1 nanometer and 100 nanometers in size. The illustration The Scale of Things, created by U.S. Department of Energy, provides a comparison of various objects to help you begin to envision exactly how small a nanometer is. The Chart starts with object that can be seen by the by the unaided eye, such as an ant, at top of the chart, and progresses to objects about a nanometer or less size ,such as the ATP molecule used in humans to store energy from food.Nanotechnology is not a new knowledge or a subject for us. It has been used for over centuries as Kajal for eyes. Humans have unwittingly employed nanotechnology for thousands of years, for example in making steel, paintings and in vulcanizing rubber. In 1950 electrical engineer Orther von hippel belonging to MIT shows the possibility of molecular engineering and talked about nano molecules. The topic of nanotechnology was again touched upon by "There's Plenty of Room at the Bottom," a talk given by famous physicist Nobel Laureate Richard Feynmanat anAmerican Physical Societymeeting atCaltechon December 29, 1959. Feynman described a process by which the ability to manipulate individual atoms and molecules might be developed, using one set of precise tools to build and operate another proportionally smaller set, so on down to the needed scale. In the course of this, he noted, scaling issues would arise from the changing magnitude of various physical phenomena: gravity would become less important, surface tension andVan der Waals attractionwould become more important, etc. Nanotechnology andnanosciencegot a boost in the early 1980s with two major developments: the birth ofclusterscience and the invention of thescanning tunnelling microscope(STM). This development led to the discovery offullerenesin 1985 and the structural assignment ofcarbon nanotubesa few years later.Centre for Responsible Nanotechnology (CRN) has often promoted the idea that molecular manufacturing will make solarcollection and storage far more efficient and cost effective. This news about the unique absorption properties of carbon Nano tubes is a meaningful step toward the realization of CRN's hope that solar power can play a vital role in meeting the world's energy needs without pouring more greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.The debate continues with varying opinions about what nanotechnology can achieve .Some researchers believe nanotechnology can be used to significantly extend the human lifespan or produce replicator like device that can create almost anything from simple raw materials. Other see nanotechnology as a tool to help us do what we do now, but faster and better .Finally, all the opinions about what nanotechnology can help us to achieve echo with ethical challenges. Is there sufficient understanding or regulation of nanotech based materials to minimize possible harm to us or our environment? We need to find answer to these questions!!!!

Mayank Gupt makguffaw@gmail.com