'''Nanotechnology''' is any [[technology]] that works on the scale between atoms and bacteria, typically measured in [[nanometer]]s (there are 1,000,000 nanometers in a [[millimeter]]).
The idea was first proposed by the physicist [[Richard Feynman]] in a lecture entitled "Plenty of Room at the Bottom".<ref>''There's Plenty of Room at the Bottom, An Invitation to Enter a New Field of Physics'', by Richard P. Feynman, transcript of a talk given by Richard Feynman on December 29th 1959 at the annual meeting of the American Physical Society at the California Institute of Technology, first published in the February 1960 issue of Caltech's ''Engineering and Science'' [http://www.quantiki.org/wiki/index.php/What_is_Quantum_Computation%3F]</ref>.
== Examples of Nanotechnolgy ==
===Solid State Physics===
In [[Solid-State Physics]], nanotechnology is being used to engineer the next generation of computer components, which will exploit quantum mechanics in order to perform certain operations much faster than current technology. This idea was again first proposed by Richard Feynman, in a conference keynote speech, later printed as an article in the International Journal of Theoretical Physics.<ref>Simulating physics with computers, R Feynman, International Journal of Physics, 21, 467. http://www.springerlink.com/content/t2x8115127841630/?p=4c2181eb362349dcbae9f86495d82f03&pi=1</ref>.
===Medicine===
In medicine, nanotechnology is being used to develop new and more sophisticated methods of drug delivery.<ref>http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=size-shape-matter-nanotech-drug</ref>. Nano-scale devices are also being developed to test patients for toxins and diseases on-site, so as to avoid the long, costly process of sending medical samples to labs. <ref>http://www.azom.com/news.asp?newsID=14569</ref>
===Construction and Engineering===
[[carbon nanotube|Carbon nanotubesnanotube]] s are a strong, light material that will be useful in engineering and constructing. Nano-particles are currently in use at St. Pancras Station [[London Saint Pancras station]] as part of the station's self-cleaning roof.<ref>http://www.skynews.com.au/health/article.aspx?id=278102</ref>.
===Consumer Electronics===
'''Angstrom''' - One tenth of a nanometer (this isn't an SI unit)
'''MEMS''' - Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems, or ''MEMS'', are nano-scale items that combine both electronic (integrated circuits) and mechanical (pumps, mirrors, servos) components to create machines which function on a microscopic scale. <ref>http://www.mems-exchange.org/MEMS/what-is.html</ref>
'''Self-assembly''' - Reversible processes in which pre-existing parts or disordered components of a preexisting system form structures of patterns.<ref>http://www.edinformatics.com/nanotechnology/self_assembly.htm</ref> Use of self-assembly techniques allows for bottom-up construction of components, and is used in applications where top-down methods like [[lithography ]] are impractical.
==Nanofabrication==
There are ways of creating a piece of nanotechnology. The 'Top Down' method involves taking a larger object and removing parts to create a smaller structure similar to creating a statue from a block of stone. An example of a top down method is 'Electron Beam Lithography'. 'Bottom Up' nano technology means assembling a an object from smaller parts, similar to building a statue out of [[LEGO]] bricks. An example of a bottom up method is 'Molecular Self Assembly'.<ref>http://it.toolbox.com/wiki/index.php/Top-down_Approach_to_Nanotechnology</ref> <ref>Fundamentals of Microfabrication: The Science of Miniturization,Marc J. Madou ,ISBN 0849308267</ref>.
==Issues related to Nanotechnology==
===Health Concerns===
Recently, there have been issues raised about the effect nano particles can have on the human body, particularly concerning their use in cosmetic products. Companies such as L'Oreal and Unilever use nano particles as UV blockers in their sun creams. Consumer organisation 'Which' have question the amount of research carried out into the long term health affects of these particles and this has led to increased interest in government regulation of nano materials.<ref>http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/7706818.stm</ref>.
A concern for people working in nanotechnology-related industries is over the potential health impact of being exposed to these particles over time, particularly if they are inhaled. This concern is based on the effect of inhaling other fine-particle forms of pollution. For example, the most minute bits of soot in diesel exhaust, known as ultrafines, measure on the nanoscale. When inhaled, they journey into the smallest air passages in the lungs, which are off-limits to larger particles. There they cause respiratory problems and, more surprisingly, heart disease, according to University of Rochester research.<ref>http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=will-nano-particles-present-big-health-problems</ref>
==Nanotechnology in Fiction==
Nanotechnolgy Nanotechnology has been the basis for many works of science fiction, such as [[Michael Crichton]]'s ''Prey'' and Greg Bear's ''Slant''.
== References ==