Earth & Sky

Nanotechnology is 'here and now,' says expert

Nanotechnology is about engineering materials at the scale of atoms and molecules.

In the past several years, the field has seemed to explode in activity, with many new ideas and patents outlining its use in all areas of society, and with hundreds of nanotech-inspired products already on the market. Yet Harvard chemist and nanotechnology pioneer George Whitesides spoke to Earth & Sky of a field that’s still in its infancy.

George Whitesides: Nanotechnology today is in a stage where we’re beginning to see what some of the general outlines of the field are going to be.

We asked Whitesides if nanotechnology has already become a major technology in our society.

George Whitesides: And the answer to that question is, that there already is a major nanotechnology, which is what was microtechnology and electronics. The engineering of the wires in wiring and transistors and microelectronics devices has progressed amazingly rapidly. So that, one will have in production in the immediate future devices which have wires and features that are 40 nanometers across. So that, there’s absolutely no question that there is a nanotechnology, it will underline much of information technology, and it’s here and now.

Whitesides also spoke of nanotech for cutting-edge fuel cells and solar cells.

Thanks to the National Science Foundation.

3 Comments for Nanotechnology is 'here and now,' says expert

1. 1

   Jun 18, 01:30 PM #

   Bob Ramos says:

   This is great stuff. I have a small firm in Corpus Christi, TX. We have two military contracts – one to operate a technical data library at a military depot and the other to operate a general library for the USAF

   If anyone has ideas as to how we can adapt nonotechnology to our work, I dearly would love them to e mail me.

   Thanks

2. Jun 18, 01:41 PM #

   Deborah Byrd says:

   Bob, thanks for your comment. I don’t know specifically how nanotech will impact library technology … but information technology is central to nano’s impact. It’s coming!

   Deborah

3. 2

   Jun 18, 04:00 PM #

   Judith Newman says:

   Neurolgy

   Trigeminal Neuralgia Research