NANOTECH INNOVATIONS

The theoretical possibilities of nanotechnology were first envisioned in 1959 by renowned physicist Richard Feynman. The word nanotechnology was popularized in the 1980’s by K. Eric Drexler. The US National Nanotechnology Initiative was created to fund nanotechnology research.

These tiny machines can be used to build other tiny machines or to perform any purpose desired. Such tiny creations are already in use today and have been for some time. Here is how many experts describe the development timeline:

(a) 1st Generation Passive Nanostructures (2000)
Dispersed and contact nanostructures (aerosols, colloids, coatings)

(b) 2nd Generation Active Nanostructures (2005)
Bio-active and health-related (targeted drugs, biodevices)

(c) 3rd Generation Systems of Nanosystems (2010)
Assembling and networking mechanical systems (robotics)

(d) 4th Generation Molecular Nanosystems (2015-2020)
Designed atomic structures (Independent systems)

Nanosystems can be used for any imaginable purpose. Perhaps unfortunately, that includes military uses. Any military use could also become a terrorist threat, if this technology falls into the wrong hands. However, military use may become necessary if terrorists obtain the technology from a country other than the US. Just as medicines and life-saving procedures can be delivered by nanosystems, so can biological weapons and other destructive nanosystems.

The possibilities of nanosystems sound like something from a comic book or science fiction movie. Small machines that can be injected into the human body to produce a necessary drug or hormone are not out of the question. Microscopic machines that can perform detailed microsurgery procedures without cutting the skin are already being developed.

The Center for Responsible Nanotechnology is working to design and promote mechanisms for safe development and effective administration of molecular manufacturing. As with any emerging technology, it is difficult to govern something that has never been done before, yet as new technologies develop, systems to control them develop as well. It seems that necessity speeds the processes on all levels.

Imagine a tiny nanosystem that could produce insulin within the body after being injected by a very small needle. Insulin-dependent diabetes would be a worry of the past. Perhaps an antibody-producing nanosystem that eliminates minor illnesses is more to your liking. Or a nanosystem that hunts and kills cancer cells without chemo-therapy or radiation. All of this and more is possible through nanotechnology.

Likewise, tiny killing machines and bio-weapons nanosystems are possible. Once again we find the human race on the verge of amazing advancements that could improve the entire human condition or destroy the entire human race. This is not a new situation for us.

The discovery of nuclear energy has been both a blessing and a curse. Nuclear power plants are capable of producing enormous amounts of electrical energy or create bombs that could destroy everything we know. Advanced medical discoveries have produced amazing new medicines that can improve a person’s way of life or be abused and ruin lives.

The end result will depend on the decisions we make as the human race. There will always be those who work to subvert and distort the intended use of an invention or discovery, yet we cannot stop working for new discoveries, for it is the lifeblood of human nature. We will always want to find ways to improve our lives and the lives of others.

As with anything else, there will be risks of opportunities and threats of danger involved with nanotechnology. However, can we really stand in the way of discoveries that could very well lengthen and even save our very lives?

A growing number of people are discovering new and innovative ways to create electricity without the use of fossil fuels or other non-renewable sources, even green ways to power portable electronic devices. Most people use a number of portable electronic devices such as, cell phones, PDA’s, laptop and micro computers, MP3’s, games, etc. Power for these devices can be harnessed using small solar cells, micro-wind generators, hand-crank generators and more.

Scientists at Georgia Tech are developing a power-generating fiber that can be woven into commonly worn articles of clothing. Zinc Oxide, a naturally-occurring substance formerly used in medicines, is formed into nanowires. These microscopic wires are then woven into textiles made of virtually any fabric (the researchers used Kevlar in their experiment). As the nanowires move among the fabric, tiny vibrations and friction create electricity. And we all thought static electricity in clothing was bad.

It is estimated that one (1) square meter, or about nine (9) square feet of this nanowire-woven fabric can create eighty (80) milliwatts of electricity. This power can then be converted to a form useable by your portable electronic devices.

When woven into fabric used for exercise, such as running shorts or jogging pants, the amount of electricity produced would be increased by movement. Power could then be stored in rechargeable batteries and transferred to small electronic devices. Clothing designed for night use could also be illuminated using the power generated by the garment itself, thereby providing light for work or safety.

As this technology improves, we could see power-generating nanowires woven into automobile seats, home furnishings, blankets or any imaginable fabric application. Imagine an outdoor flag that generates small amounts of electricity when the wind blows, stores that power in rechargeable batteries, then those batteries are used to recharge your cell phone!

The principle of vibration creating movement in the fabric which produces electricity has made some persons wonder how this material might work in sound-dampening blankets. If such blankets were placed around large machinery or other loud equipment or devices, the vibrations could create electricity for green uses. Perhaps there is at last, a useful purpose for noise pollution.

1. Research and development at molecular or atomic levels, with lengths ranging between about 1 to 100 nanometers.
2. Creation and use of systems, devices, and structures which have special functions or properties because of their small size.
3. Ability to control or manipulate matter on a molecular or atomic scale.

1. Nanomaterials - physical substances with structural dimensions between 1 and 100 nm.
2. Nanotools - devices that manipulate matter at the atomic or nano scale.
3. Nanodevices - systems with nanostructured components that perform some assigned function other than manipulating nano or atomic scale matter.

Now that you know what nanotechnology is, how can investing in this small technology reap big rewards? Just like investing in anything, there are pitfalls when it comes to investing in nanotechnology. But there is also great potential.

How do you determine whether investing in a certain nanotechnology company will fall in the category of "pitfall" or "potential"? Well, the success of a company depends on three primary factors, and investors who pay attention to these fundamentals should have no problem separating good potential from bad. First of all, ask yourself whether the company you are considering has the ability to produce the technology. Second, is there a real need for the technology? And third, is anyone else using — or in the process of developing — a better manufacturing method? This doesn't mean that investors should only choose companies that are risk-free. In fact, investors who take calculated, well-thought out risks often fare better in the end than those investors who don't.

Many innovations in nanotechnology simply sound too "weird" for investors to consider: Technology for developing a cell phone so small that an insect or tiny implanted device could use it, for example, or molecular- sized "bombs" that can kill individual cancer cells. While strong markets for such products don't exist now, they certainly might exist in the future.

When all is said and done, investing in nanotechnology is just like investing in anything else. While nanotechnology can give some companies a real advantage, too many organizations are using the term loosely in order to woo investors. It's up to the individual investor to apply due diligence to determine whether the opportunity is worth investing in. The best investors, when all is said and done, investigate potential companies from a standard business perspective.

Private industry, academia, and government laboratories are working together to advance research in nanotechnology because its potential applications are many and varied. Business Week recently featured an informative article, entitled How to Invest in Nanotech, and this site offers convenient access to information about diverse nanotechnology investment opportunities.

Nanotechnology Resources:

More than a hundred schools have nanotechnology programs underway, but several of them have earned special distinction.

• HARVARD: Harvard's Materials Research Science and Engineering Center comprises 21 members of the faculty from different departments, including engineering, physics, biology, chemistry, and the medical school. The three main research groups are working on multiscale mechanics of films and interfaces, engineering materials and techniques for biological studies at cellular scales, and interface-mediated assembly of soft materials.

• RICE: Rice is home to the Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology at Rice and Richard Smalley, the Nobel Laureate in chemistry who is a nanotechnology pioneer. The center focuses on wet, dry, and computational nanotechnology, and often works with NASA.

• COLUMBIA: Columbia is home to the Center for Nanostructured Materials. At the center, teams of people work on developing complex metal oxide nanocrystals into thin films that can be used to improve the strength of materials. The center also looks into structurally integrated chemical films that contain nanoparticles.

• CORNELL: Cornell is a member of the National Nanotechnology Infrastructure Network. Cornell's focus is in materials science and engineering research, including nanostructured materials in electronic and mechanical devices.

• NORTHWESTERN: Northwestern recently built a 40,000-square-foot Center for Nanofabrication and Molecular Self-Assembly on its Evanston campus. The center was paid for by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, which makes it one of the first federally funded facilities dedicated to nanotechnology.

• RENNSSELAER: This institute has a nanotechnology center that studies advanced coating for materials, the nano dimensions of biosciences and biotechnology, nanoelectrics, and nano-scale mechanics and systems.

• BERKELEY: The Nanotechnology Initiative Research Group at University of California at Berkeley focuses on nano-scale engineering, nanocomposites, and nanowires, among other things.