FYI: Nanotechnology

Nanotechnology (sometimes shortened to "nanotech") is the study of manipulating matter on an atomic and molecular scale, in which materials and devices are built from molecular components which assemble themselves chemically by principles of molecular recognition.  Nanotechnology is very diverse, ranging from extensions of conventional devices in physics to completely new approaches based upon molecular self-assembly.  From developing new materials with dimensions on the nanoscale, to investigating whether we can directly control matter on the atomic scale.

There is however much debate on the future implications of nanotechnology. Nanotechnology may be able to create new materials and devices with a wide range of applications, within medicine, electronics, biomaterials and energy production. On the other hand, nanotechnology raises many of the same issues as any new technology would, including concerns about the toxicity and environmental impact of nanomaterials,  and their potential effects on global economics, as well as speculation about various doomsday scenarios. These concerns have led to a debate among support groups and governments on whether special regulation of nanotechnology is warranted

The first use of the concepts found in nano-technology was in December 1959 by Richard Feynman. Others made headlines of nanotechnology from newspapers and books from 1974 through 1986 to the year 2000. While in the early 1980s two major developments were made; the birth of cluster science and the invention of the scanning tunneling microscope. This development led to the discovery of fullerenes in 1985 and carbon nanotubes a few years later. In another development, the synthesis and properties of semiconductor nanocrystals were studied; this led to a fast increasing number of metal and metal oxide nanoparticles and quantum dots. The atomic force microscope was invented six years after.  Nanotechnology is the engineering of functional systems at the molecular scale, covering both current work and concepts that are more advanced. In its original sense.  Nanotechnology refers to the projected ability to construct items from the bottom up, using techniques and tools being developed today to make complete, high performance products.