From relays to vacuum tubes, transistors to integrated circuits, to very large scale integrated circuits (VLSI) there has been a steady reduction in the size and cost of the most commonly used computers. We can already arrange atoms and molecules exactly as we want. Atoms can now be manipulated, separated and put back together in different formations, creating bread from grass, or building microscopic robots. If we rearrange the atoms in coal, we get diamonds, if we rearrange the atoms in sand (and add a pinch of impurities) we get computer chips and if we rearrange the atoms in dirt, water and air we get grass.
Nanotechnology is an exciting area of scientific development which promises more for less and is engineering at a very small scale. It has the potential to create many new materials and devices with wide-ranging applications, such as in medicine, electronics and energy production. Nanotechnology is sometimes referred to as a general purpose technology. Thats because in its advanced form it will have significant impact on almost all industries and all area of society. It will offer better built, longer lasting, cleaner, safer, and smarter products for the home, for communications, for medicine, for transportation, for agriculture, and for industry in general. Nanotechnology not only will allow making many high quality products at very low cost, but it allow making new nanofactories at the same low cost and at the same rapid speed. This unique ability to reproduce its own means of production is why nanotech is said to be an exponential technology. Estimates usually are that 20 to 30 years from now, or even much later than that there will be rapid progress made in enabling technologies, such as optics, nanolithography, mechnaochemistry and 3D prototyping. On the other hand, nanotechnology raises many of the same issues as with introduction of any new technology, including concerns about the toxicity and environmental impact of nanomaterial and their potential effects on global economics.
Nanotechnology originated in India around 16 years back. It is in its early development phase. The implications of nanotechnology in India can be found in the field of telecommunications, computing, aerospace, solar energy, and environment. However, nanotech's major contribution can be seen in the computing, communication and, medical field. |
