8. What are
its costs &
benefits?
You are here
5. How does
it change?
1. What is it?
9. How do we
evaluate it?
6. How does
it change us?
2. Why do we
use it?
7. How do we
change it?
3. Where
does it come
from?
0. Introduction
4. How does
it work?
Review: What is nanotechnology?
• Nanopowders and nanomaterials (pants,
sunscreen)
• Molecular precision (solar cells, light
emitting diodes)
• Nanoscale machines (none yet)
• Matter compilers (read Diamond Age)
• Self-replicating robots (read Prey)
Why do (or will) we use
Nanotechnology?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
Food
Shelter
Communication
Transportation
Commerce
Art
Religion
Health
Entertainment
Organization
Conflict
Exploration
Why do (or will) we use
Nanotechnology?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
Food (detects when food is spoiled http://www.packworld.com/articles/Features/18256.html)
Shelter (aerogel insulation now, diamond windows later – see Diamond Age)
Communication (optical switching)
Transportation (space elevator http://www.nanotech-now.com/Art_Gallery/LiftPort.htm)
Commerce (matter compilers could create products where needed, selling only designs)
Art (Maya Blue 1200 years ago)
Religion (who’d have expected GPS to be used to find Mecca? http://www.primidi.com/2004/08/16.html)
Health (Nanomedicine by Robert Freitas at http://www.nanomedicine.com/NMI.htm)
Entertainment (display phosphors, utility fog http://discuss.foresight.org/~josh/Ufog.html)
Organization (pervasive surveillance for law enforcement, contact lens HUD)
Conflict (nanoscale sensors, both stationary and mobile)
Exploration (lens for evanescent waves to view atomic scale, smaller space probes)