Nanotechnology

What is nanotechnology? Nanotechnology is a technology that deals with dimensions and tolerances of less than 100 nanometers, especially the manipulation of individual atoms and molecules. Wait, 100 nanometers? A nanometer is one-billionth of a meter. Compared to an object, 100 nanometers is approximately the size of a bacteria, which is extremely small and impossible to see with a human eye. When did scientists start creating or studying nanotechnology? Modern nanotechnology truly began in 1981, when the scanning tunneling microscope allowed scientists and engineers to see and manipulate individual atoms. The iconic example of nanotechnology’s development was an effort led by Don Eigler at IBM to spell out "IBM" using 35 individual atoms of xenon. Although nanotechnology is not practical because of a lack of technology and elements, scientists say that in about 15-20 years, they might launch the first nanotechnology.

Nanotechnology can improve information technology, homeland security, medicine, transportation, energy, food safety, environmental science, and other things. Furthermore, nanotechnology is also being applied to or developed to use purification and ecological cleanups such as desalination of water, water filtration, wastewater treatment, groundwater treatment, and other nano-remediation. Nanotechnology will improve these areas by providing people with cutting down waste production, reducing the emission of greenhouse gases, and, lastly, discharge chemicals in water.

Let’s talk about nanotechnology in medicine! One application of nanotechnology in medicine currently being developed involves employing nanoparticles to deliver drugs, heat, light, or other substances to specific types of cells such as cancer cells. This technique reduces damage to healthy cells in the body and allows for earlier detection of disease. Since different cell types have unique properties, nanotechnology can “recognize” cells of interest, allowing associated drugs and therapeutics to reach diseased tissue while avoiding healthy cells. In conclusion, nanotechnology will improve in about 10 to 20 years, and it will shape our world to a different place. This technology will help with medicine, construction, environmental science, and others.

In about 10 to 20 years, nanotechnology will be crucial and important in our society and the environment because it will improve many areas such as medicine, environment, and others. I personally think or look forward to advanced nanotechnology that can cure every disease out there in the field of medicine. I hope that nanotechnology can cure diseases such as Alzhimer’s, Parkinson’s, cancer, and other neurodegenerative diseases that are incurable.