Nanomachines

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Photo caption: Nanotechnology is not make believe anymore. Real-world nanomachines are about 180-thousands of a human hair across.

Everybody’s talking about paying attention to the big picture. Today on Engineering Works, we’re going to sketch out some of the tiniest pictures you can imagine.

The big picture is okay, but for some engineers, the tiniest picture you can imagine is what’s important.

The tiny picture these engineers are peering into is full of atoms and molecules. They’re using those atoms and molecules to build things: tiny machines that can do things for us. It’s called nano-technology.

Nanotechnology is going to be important to you. What if your windows cleaned themselves? How about a computer screen thin as a sheet of paper? Tear a tendon? A smart splint tells the cells to heal. Nano-technology can make it happen.

Far-fetched? Not really. Except for the computer screen, all these things are here now. And that’s coming soon. Engineers working in nanotechnology use atoms and molecules to build real-world machines. We’re talking really small engineering here – these parts are about 100-80-thousandths of a human hair across.

Nanotechnology has been around science fiction and Star Trek forever. But it’s not make-believe any more. And in 10 years or so – just like the Internet – nanotechnology will be part of our culture.

This “nano-culture” will include devices like molecule-size "nanobots," that seek out and cure disease in our bloodstreams. Nano-machines already exist. A nano-guitar built in 1997 can even be played. So, be on the lookout for more nanotechnology benefits. But look really close.

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