Nanotechnology

How far does this technology really go? Is it at our technological level to use it for fighting diseases? Creating Military armor? Creating non-rip-able condoms? Because i remember when it all started to come out to the public everyone was talking about all the wonderful uses we would have for it.

Now I'm not saying its useless, I'm just asking at this point in time, whats the most we can do with it. Simply that.

[edit on 5/31/2007 by Schmidt1989]

Yo whatup Schmidt.

I think that this technology, once it works its way into the mainstream will be able to do everything that you mentioned. There is already testing going on to be able to inject drugs into nanoparticles that will attack a tumor and leave healthy tissue around it.

The options are limitless for nanotech, that is if "the man" doesnt conduct a study and say that nano stuff is bad for us, first.

I just ran across this link below as well. The last entry at the bottom of the page has the concept for an anti-papparazzi spray. Check it out.

www.we-make-money-not-art.com...

Although the tech is currently under-utilized, the options are very much limitless.

[edit on 5/31/07 by Don Wahn]

[edit on 5/31/07 by Don Wahn]

anyone ever heard of the black goo theory?? we use self-replicating nanobots that eat carbon out to clean up a oil spill ((cant prove it but im sure there either working on this or some day will)) and then something goes wrong instead of dissappearing when the work is done the keep replicating and replicating and cover the entire earth eating away all carbon....its just a theory i read somewhere i cant remember where but i just thought ide throw it in since were talking about nanotech

Well, there's the fictional view of it (which includes the all-powerful technologhy) and the view by researchers which is of a technology that's actually quite difficult to do and very difficult to create.

You know, I wish some would not just throw out what they "know" about something before investigating into it a little further. I'm not so sure that nanotechnology is as monumentally difficult to manufacture as it once was.

Nanotechnology is currently not as easy to assemble as, say, a toaster, but its promise is so tremendous that the growth it has seen in its advances are pretty astounding.

Take a look at this site, named aptly enough, Nanotechnology.com, and read one or two of the research projects currently being reported. Quantum computing methodology a distinct possibility now, among others. Look.

Nanotechnology.com

Other uses within the 5-10 year horizon (?): vastly increased speed and capacity for computer storage, medical applications including better cancer therapies and diagnostic testing, or how about this one, making better and cheaper solar cell arrays:

Novel low temperature laser processing of silicon for hybrid organic/inorganic solar cells

Researchers at the Advanced Technology Institute (ATI) at the University of Surrey [profile] have reported a new technique to UV laser processing of thin film silicon for applications such as display control circuits and solar cells, which could lead to device performances at lower costs. The improvements are achieved with a new pulse profile for crystallisation of amorphous silicon to nanocrystalline as reported in the April issue of Applied Physics Letters (90, 171912). Lead investigator Dr Damitha Adikaari comments: "The use of a modified laser pulse shape results in more efficient transformation of amorphous silicon into its crystalline form, with significant control of surface roughness allowing for higher degree of control of design parameters."

The enhanced understanding of effects of the pulse profile on the texture of silicon films has allowed the investigators to fabricate efficient organic/inorganic hybrid solar cells, with the highest reported efficiency for nanocrystalline silicon and the type of polymer used (MEH-PPV). (Applied Physics letters, 90, 203514) Dr Adikaari further states that "the cells were initially fabricated to help us understand nanocrystalline inorganic/organic interfaces, made with laser textured nanocrystalline silicon and spin-cast MEH-PPV. However, they result in impressive photocurrents, where the bulk of the photo-generation is believed to be from the nanocrystalline silicon layer."

The laser texturing of amorphous silicon has also been used to prove another concept to increase the surface area of organic photovoltaics while keeping the device thickness to a minimum. In a subsequent article to be published in Applied Physics Letters, the researchers report nano-imprinted organic cells with a laser textured stamp. The lead investigator Mr Nanditha Dissanayake states "the imprinting process results in a five-fold increase in photo-current, purely due to the surface area increase which increases the collection efficiency of the photo-generated carriers."

The Director of the ATI, Professor Ravi Silva, who also heads the Nano Electronics Centre where the work was carried out, comments: "The fundamental understanding we have gained in nano-texturing of amorphous silicon has led ATI researchers to improve charge extraction of organic/inorganic hybrid devices, which is giving rise to some exciting device physics. These nano-engineered devices promise a lot of potential for large scale organic/inorganic photovoltaics."

Originally posted by newtron25
You know, I wish some would not just throw out what they "know" about something before investigating into it a little further. I'm not so sure that nanotechnology is as monumentally difficult to manufacture as it once was.

While it's not as difficult as it was, it's not really something you can do on your tabletop.

And thanks for the link on nanotechnology. I was tired when I was writing that last night and not in the mood to hunt for the good websites on nanotech. That's one of the better news aggreagators, and does give a sense of what can be done and what's being done.

Another news aggregator is:
www.nanotech-now.com...

Nanotech now has a good conference schedule... the papers there are usually stuff at the forefront of the research, so that's always a good resource to eyeball to see what might appear in the future:
www.nanotech-now.com...


[edit on 1-6-2007 by Byrd]

Thanks everyone for all the replies.

It's sounds astoundingly promising, but it looks as if we are going to have to wait for another 10 years about to get the ball really rolling on this stuff. I would only assume its going to get easier and cheaper to make nanotechnology and by then we'll have more projects to use it on. It there any possible way that they could create nanbots to maybe turn CO2 into O3? I think O3 is Ozone right??? But maybe one day they can do that to help stop or slow down global warming. Even though it sure didn't feel like global warming this winter! haha

In my opinion the future will embrace and despise nanotechnology. When it comes to materials and medicines the world will love it. Nano's delivering medicine to a targeted area in your body. Take a pill for a headache and it delivers it straight to your head and the pain is gone. Bullet proof materials, solar panels, lighting etc. I'm wondering if some day we'll have nano's you put on your dog and it starts hunting down and eating all the fleas. The faster and more pwerful our computers get in the future is the key. So much technology being discovered with our computers today. Imagine what our computers will be able to do five to ten years from now.
Having fresh water to drink globally. Water filtration on the molecular level will be wonderful to have.

Fresh Water To Drink Globally

Here's a good article to read about nano technology and quantum theory's. Changing the properties and behavior of matter.

Over the next two decades, this new field for controlling the properties of matter will rise to prominence through four evolutionary stages

The bad side of technology in my own opinion will be nano's placed in the body to mind read, control of your system unwillingly. All the bad things you could possibly think to do with nano technology is scary to me. All these experiments that will or have been done will happen to someone. What about side effects and even death to the unlucky ones.

Here's a cool video to watch.


Lots of good and bad for nanotechnology but only the future can tell. I got to get to work so I'm done. Hope to see alot more on this subject.


Just wondering if that material foung at the Roswell crash was nanotechnology? You know, that material that could be crushed, wrinkled and it would still go back to it's orginal shape.

[edit on 6/1/2007 by Solarskye]

Originally posted by Solarskye
Just wondering if that material foung at the Roswell crash was nanotechnology? You know, that material that could be crushed, wrinkled and it would still go back to it's orginal shape.

No. That was that living metal stuff. And i think i read somewhere that we have made it already, but someone please correct me if im wrong.