Lets talk Nanotech!

For a change, I have decided to write about a serious topic. Few people would believe that I am capable of such a thing, but prepare to be surprised! In any case I will keep this post brief.

Nano Technology is the next great leap for mankind. It is set to change healthcare, manufacturing and virtually every other industry known to man. 

To start-off for those who are unaware of the term Nano Technology, (for my precious few geek readers) nano means a billionth or  factor of 10⁻⁹ or 0.000000001 and for the rest of you (non-scientists) it means small. Basically Nano Technology (affectionately called Nanotech) involves the manipulation of matter at the molecular or atomic level(pasted from Wikipedia). 

Just imagine what man can accomplish from this technology! It will be like magic, the kind we have read about in Harry Potter books. Materials and manufactured items will be so modular, even more advanced than those robots from the movie Transformers. Nano robots are said to be a revolution in the medical field where doctors can perform critical surgeries without touching the patient! Nano robots (some call them as nanobots) can be deployed in the most difficult environments. These can be used in war(to dismantle or malfunction enemy weapons without detection) or to even operate(mend tissues & make micro stitches) on our body!

Book cover courtesy: http://www.webidz.com 

However, its threats to health and environment cannot be downplayed. The Nano particles if let lose in the environment can create unprecedented damage. For a more terrifying view of the problem read a novel called 'Prey' by Michael Crichton. Those who believe in reality rather than fiction read this article in Asian Age: Nano tech can poison man, environment (just browse through Wikipedia for additional links). 

So the technology is indeed a great leap for mankind, but the picture is not as rosy as it looks. As an uncle of a great American superhero has said, 'With great power comes great responsibility'.