Are your desires to be digitally urbane constantly hampered by a PC that freezes every time you breathe oddly? Or have you developed an unsightly rash or a flu virus you just can't shake, and the doctor can't do anything but dismiss your symptoms as lack of sleep? The next 20 years may see a decrease in positive responses to these and similar questions due to the rapidly emerging field of nanotechnology.
Current molecular manipulation techniques are considered by nanotech's supporters to be grossly primitive, due to the fact that atoms are being pushed around in a way a recent Zyvex article described as 'trying to snap together Lego blocks with boxing gloves on your hands.' Nanotech will eventually allow scientists to remove these gloves and lock atoms together in innumerable ways, which will be essential to continued advancement in computers and medicine. Though nanotechnology is one of the most openly defined fields, with anyone from biologists to computer technicians labeling themselves 'nanotechnicians,' the goals of nanotech can be summarized as follows: arranging atoms with near-perfect precision, being able to clearly define the atomic makeup of just about anything, and decreasing costs and increasing efficiency in manufacturing.
The possibilities of nanotech for the advancement of medical knowledge are seemingly boundless. Specialized tools are being developed to assist in the study of the molecular and genetic origins of disease. Some of these devices could be surgically inserted into a patient to identify certain reactions within cells'processes that fuel cancers and other diseases, which could become less of a threat to humanity if nanotech reaches its full potential. The science is already applied to the manufacture of scan probe microscopes, which have become increasingly common over the last 15 years.
'Nanotech is farther along in semiconductors than medicine,' however, said UW-Madison professor of materials science and engineering Max Lagally.
Lithography is the current state of the art in computer manufacturing, but as it does not allow the construction of semiconductors with atomic-scale details, lithography could become obsolete by the end of the decade. The principles of nanotech will have to be applied not only to ever-shrinking semiconductors, but also to quantum and DNA computing, which will eventually replace semiconductor-controlled systems.
At UW-Madison, a growing number of researchers connected with the College of Engineering are currently undertaking various projects involving nanotech. Among them is professor of engineering physics Robert Carpick, whose team is trying to discover the molecular basis for friction.
'[Friction is] a big limiting factor for nanotech, causing problems for everything from engines to micromachines,' Carpick said. In cooperation with the Ford Motor Co., Carpick and his assistants are attempting to develop thin films for engine components to combat nanoscale roughness in steel ball bearings. Using what Carpick describes as a 'nanoscale record-player needle,' they try to determine the effects of such things as chemical makeup and velocity on friction.
Others, like professor of biomedical engineering Dan Vanderweide, are looking into biological applications. Vanderweide is probing the meaning of intercellular messages in membrane proteins, which could lead to improved treatment for patients suffering from degenerative neurological diseases such as Alzheimer's.
The open-ended definition of nanotech has led to skepticism and concern in some circles, but does society have cause for these attitudes?
'Technology can be used for us and against us,' Vanderweide said, referring to last Tuesday's terrorist attack. 'Unintended consequences occur when technology gets pervasive. However, in nanotech it is unlikely that anyone could create a virus, for instance, on such a small scale that would be dangerous, except making a modification of that virus that would make it more virulent.'
Dr. Lawrence Casper, assistant dean of the College of Engineering, concurs with this statement. He said that the benefits of nanotech outweigh the risks, citing its positive effect on the future of computer technology and the manufacture of energy-efficient products.
UW-Madison nanotechnologists have also proved their outreach skills through a Web site launched in spring 2000, which explains to the general public the mysteries behind this sometimes overwhelming, yet exciting field.
