The Coming of the Nano Age

Nanotechnology is today defined as the understanding, imaging ,control and use of matter at dimensions of roughly 1 to 100 nanometers which is smaller than the wavelength of visible light and a hundred thousandth the width of a human hair. Amazing properties of materials emerge at those dimensions  and the ability to use those materials in different fields in exciting new technology becomes limitless. Futurist and inventor Raymond kurzweil expects the Nano Age to begin as an exponential climb into a vastly different world.This will end the Information age which began in the 1990. According to him this is the potential answer to all our problems and it also hands us the power to destroy ourselves and our home with that much ease.  Nanotechnology will become the most powerful tool the human species has ever used. With it, we will literally fashion the world of tomorrow into whatever we so desire How….? that is a billion dollar question!!

Let us understand the various aspects and uses of the Nano world in fields of Medicine, Computers, materials, Virtual Reality, Military, Energy and Economics.

• Medicine-One area of nanotechnology application that holds the promise of providing great benefits for society in the future is in the realm of medicine. Nanotechnology is already being used as the basis for new, more effective drug delivery systems and is in early stage development as scaffolding in nerve regeneration research. Medicine is manufactured using this technology for cancer treatment, bone replacement and even appetite control.
• Computers-Today’s microprocessors will be succeeded by Nano computers. A supercomputer which today takes up a large building and uses 10 MW of power will use 2 MW power and become maximally efficient using Nano technology.Moore’s law that states an exponential growth in technology in the coming years will be possible and proven only because of Nano tech. 
• Materials- Nano materials is just another step forward in the miniaturization of materials. At the nano scale  opaque substances like copper become transparent, platinum which is inert becomes catalytic, Gold which is solid at room temperature becomes liquid and silicon which is an insulator starts conducting. 
• Virtual Reality- VR is the ultimate tool to express the imagination.This technology begins to blur the lines between real and virtual. Applications  of  VR are endless in the field of entertainment, medical and engineering visualization.
• Military- Faster, smaller and lighter nano computers will enable a wide variety of novel applications in military technology. sophisticated electronics will be built into every area of military technology be it rifles, ammunition, glasses and even clothing. A bullet can be fitted with molecular electronic circuitry to help it to guide itself intelligently towards its target.
• Energy- Power available from sustainable generation will be vastly increased using Nanotech. Wind and Solar power use a lot of silicon panels which are crude, bulky, heavy and expensive to build. Nanotech will make them inexpensive and super efficient. More durable and less expensive solar cells will be seen in the future when Nanotech is used in the development of battery technology.
• Economics- Industry and economy is largely shaped by technology and with Nanotech a paradigm shift will be seen in the future economy which will get reshaped daily  due to new innovations. 

The final frontier will not be the realm of space but the minuscule world of the atom. As we approach the physical limits of what can be done a magical world awaits us. .For the first time in our history we will have the power to literally design a future of our choice. May we choose wisely.