What do all of you see as the possible ramifications of nano technology on society. What changes will be caused by nano technologies?
Well, for nano-, micro-, and whatever-technology involving really small suckers... If we have little fellas cleaning out out arteries and such, people may stop worrying about eating low-cholesterol foods. If muscles are constantly being tweaked, peolpe may get lazy. Oh wait, that's already the case. Forget that. Um... Assemblers. The tiny little things which make products one atom or particle at a time. Further off than medical microtech I'd bet. If it happens, I think only in first world countries. The current trend of moving manufacturing to less advanced countries to save laboiur costs could vanish very quickly. Those less advanced countries would then have to actually try to build themselves up for a change or rely entirely on foreign aid. Cheese would become more scary....
The only micro-technology so far has been the integrated circuits and electronics. I assume, nano technology will go in that direction. I have not seen a micro-robot, or any microdevices in normal everyday life. So jumping to the nano world may not happen for a long long time. So, it occurs to me that, not much will change due to the nano world. Companies still will screw up and go bankcrupt. Your food will come from gene-spliced methods, majority will still buy their clothes from the internet, etc, etc... Unless you know, specifically what new gadget will be produced via nano technology, it is difficult to say... it all depends on the utilization factor...
Here is an interesting article on how nano technology is expected to be used in space exploration. It is just a small step from most implementations of space exploration to commercial products. http://www.space.com/businesstechnology/technology/nanotube_concepts_020206-1.html
Mixing material science and nano technology as in nanites and nanobots is ridiculous. It is like saying electroplating or plasma coating is also nanotechnology. Hey! I am all for it. In 1950s, they predicted air cars, automated meal preparation robots (we got microwaves and tv dinners) and automated homes with windows changing color density (we got manual drapes) and on and on... How quickly people forget the prediction of science....
This ridiculous hamster believes many conventional and unconventional technologies will be incorporated in manufacturing future nanomachines. Restricting the term nanotechnology to research in molecular assemblers is too limiting. Like picking the winner before the race is run. The relevant factor in this hamster’s opinion is whether the technology builds precise molecular level features. Nanotubes fit that criterion. As for predictions…that’s why it’s called the future and not the past.
Imahamster2, I believe you are right. I also believe progress in nano technologies will lead to the development of new materials with properties we cannot yet predict. Operating on the molecular level will also enable a greater understanding of the universe. As devices approach the molecular level, different effects begin to dominate that are not seen at our gross level. Whole new approaches will have to be created.
Nano tech is a discovery in search of an application. Much like x-rays at the time of it's discovery, in that we know of it but don't know what to do with it. Given time, you can be sure that applications will develop. The potiential is just to great to ignore. In another thread it has been mentioned by kmgruru, Russia has developed a sheet that has the possibility of being our next great breakthrough in computer tech. A nonmetalic magnetic at room temperature. Most of these discoveries for application come through blundering into them while looking for something else. After that is finding what those properities can be used for.
Oh! nano technology will have its place like every other technology...good or bad. It is just that what we think may not be what we get. Just look at PC technology. Ever since the first DOS, powerful companies and organizations have tried to control it in the name of the consumer. The early projection was that PC will provide vast human knowledgebase to ordinary mortals at virtually no cost thereby taking us to the next level of evolution (knowledge workers). Just like, a few controlled the knowledge through language (Latin), law and secrecy many thousands of years ago, we try to do the same today through our copyright, price and laws.
