Nanotechnology in the Future

What is Nanotechnology?

The use of nanotechnology would definitely change the world. So what is nanotechnology? Nanotechnology is the management or manipulation of matter or functional systems on a molecular scale. Currently it is so new that nobody is really sure what they can make out of it. However, from scientist's predictions using nanotechnology range from reproducing things such as diamonds and food or self-replicating nanobots. In fact with nanotechnology you could build almost anything.

With 15,342 atoms, this parallel-shaft speed reducer gear is one of the largest nano mechanical devices ever modeled in atomic detail

History of Nanotechnology

The first mention of nanotechnology goes back to the 1950s when Richard Feynman of the California Institute of Technology gave a talk describing molecular machines building with atomic precision which is considered to be the first lecture on technology and engineering at the atomic scale. 

Below is a link to find out how nanotechnology works:

http://www.howstuffworks.com/nanotechnology.htm 

How might nanotechnology benefit society?

• It will make manufacturing  much more efficient and cleaner.
• Food and crops could be atomically engineered which means agriculture will be improved and will be more efficient  requiring less labour.
• It could extremely improve formulation of drugs, diagnostics and organ replacement

For more ways it can benefit society click on link below:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Impact_of_nanotechnology

List of product that have already benefited from nanotechnology:

• Sunscreen
• Self-cleaning glass
• Clothing
• Scratch-resistant coatings
• Anti-microbial bandages.

For more detail visit link below:

http://science.howstuffworks.com/nanotechnology3.htm

Carbon Nanotubes
The most strongest material know today is carbon nanotubes which are allotropes of carbon with a cylindrical nanostructure. Carbon nanotubes has very unique properties that make it important for nanotechnology electronics, optics and other fields of materials science and technology. The properties of carbon nanotubes are shown in the list below.

• High electrical conductivity
• High thermal conductivity
• One of strongest materials in nature
• Elastic properties
• High flexibility

How will carbon nanotubes affect the future?

In the future carbon nanotubes will benefit society in many different ways. According to Dr Michio Kaku, we could use carbon nanotubes to make unbreakable cars, buildings that won't collapse, ultra-light jet planes. Some people also assume that we could use them to build a highway that goes into space.

Space Elevators

In maybe 50 years, elevators that go up to space could be real. This would make space travel cheaper and more efficient and overcome many of its biggest problems. So, how would carbon nanotubes be used for building a space elevator? Below is a video which shows how:

Nanorobots

One of the goals of nanotechnology is to build machines at an atomic scale that function as levers, gears, ball bearings and pulleys. With these nanomachines, physicist dream that one day they will be able to rearrange the molecules of an object, atom by atom until one object could transform into another object. This is the basis of how the replicator that you see a lot in science fiction works. With this we would be able to solve many of the problems of the world such as poverty and change the nature of society itself. It would also change our healthcare.

ENERGY SOURCES OF THE FUTURE

In the near future there will some changes in technology and our lives. For example, today more and more renewable energy sources are being used instead fossil fuels to generate energy. In 2020, solar panels, wind turbines, hydroelectric dams may become more common in the future. As the world population increases, the demand for energy has increased and new methods of obtaining energy would need to be developed. Non-renewable energy sources such as fossil fuels (oil, natural gas and coal) will eventually become depleted. Furthermore, they are a major cause of the greenhouse effect which causes global warming. This means we would need to look for more renewable energy sources that are much more efficient and friendly to the environment. In fact we already have them as I said earlier, but these still have some disadvantages. First of all, they are expensive and some do not produce enough electricity. 

Image showing how Greenhouse Effect can cause global warming

Solar Panels

Solar panels are renewable energy sources which use the light from the sun and convert into electricity. As long as the sun shines solar panels would be able to continue generating electricity unlike fossil fuels. However, they only generate electricity during the day because that is when there sunlight. Currently, today's solar panels mostly absorb infrared light to produce electricity. In the future though, new advances in technology will give us more efficient solar panels that can use all spectra of electromagnetic radiation to generate electricity. This means more electricity can made without damaging the environment. Below is a short clip of Dr Michio Kaku a theoretical physicist who will explain how discovery of new materials may pave the way for better more advanced solar panels.

Fusion Reactors

Another energy resource that would probably be used in the future is fusion reactors, where electricity is generated through a nuclear fusion reaction. They have major advantages over other energy resources. Compared to fission reactors which use nuclear fission to produce electricity, fusion reactors which will use  sufficient sources of fuel such as hydrogen. Furthermore, these reactors will not leak radiation above normal background levels and will generate less radioactive waste than fission reactors used today. The fusion reactor will use the same nuclear reaction that occurs inside stars like our sun which means a significant amount of energy can be generated. It will also be a clean and sustainable energy resource.

Advantages

• It is a renewable energy  resource. The fuel used in the fusion reactors like deuterium and tritium which are isotopes of hydrogen are virtually inexhaustible.
• It does not give off harmful gases into the atmosphere like fossil fuels which contribute to global warming. Fusion reactors only emit helium a gas that is already plentiful in the atmosphere.
• Fusion reactors are safe and have no problems over nuclear waste which is a major concern with the use of fission reactors.

Disadvantages

• Currently scientist have not been able to contain a fusion reaction for a long enough period of time to generate enough energy.
• Due to a failure to reach a breakthrough in fusion power many countries are phasing out research in nuclear fusion.

Other Energy Resources of the Future

• Tidal Power
• Wind Energy
• Wave Power
• Hydroelectricity
• Geothermal Power
• Biomass