The History Of Nanotechnology Started With Memory Capacity

Nanotechnology is a specialized engineering concept that devises the process for making smaller data storage structures with high memory capacity. The technology uses the characteristics of various materials and products that vary in size from one to one hundred nanometers. One nanometer is one millionth of a millimeter and even a human hair's diameter is fifty thousand times bigger.

In today's modern era, nanotechnology is becoming an effective concept in various industries such as automobile, optics, chemical, information technology etc. Germany is the country that has an edge over all others in the knowledge as well as application of nanotechnology.

The future benefits that would arise from nanotechnology are indeed numerous. It would rather be more interesting to go back in time and trace the history of nanotechnology.

Nanotechnology has emerged as a result of many decades of scientific research in different fields. Computer chips have become much smaller, mechanical engineering has become more accurate, biochemistry now talks about how to study and control molecules in organisms and much more.

The lecture given by the famous physicist, Richard Feynman, titled 'There's Plenty of Room at the Bottom' is considered to be foreshadow of the concept of nanotechnology. In as early as 1959, he suggested that small machines can be built to manufacture objects with atomic precision. He also made predictions on storing information with unimaginable density for his times.

Later in the end of 1970's, Eric Drexler invented molecular manufacturing. During his research he realized that molecular machines could chemically control the production of complex objects which would be a very powerful technological tool. Drexler began to write his observations in his research papers in 1981. He was the one who coined the term 'nanotechnology' in his book titled, 'Engines of Creation' that described the manufacturing process and its impact.

In 1992, Drexler published another work of his on 'Nanosystems'. The word nanotechnology became very popular soon and with constant use the word itself was used for different purposes. So Drexler had to use other terms to distinguish between the nanotechnology and molecular manufacturing process.

When Bill Clinton was the President of the USA, funding for nanotechnology research projects began to pour in. There were varied opinions whether more focus had to be paid on funding or on using the process itself. However, the National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI) began in his period and things worked great for this niche concept.

A brief mention of the ill effects of replicating molecular systems using nanotechnology in the book Engines of Creation, had raised concerns among many analysts. Writings and comments from various experts made the issue serious and for some time the claim that molecular manufacturing was impossible and unscientific emerged. This claim was strengthened by the fact that research in the subject was highly technical and theoretical.

The argument still continues sometimes whether nanotechnology is unscientific or not but the general agreement is that it is a highly useful concept that ensures and enhancement in various important industries in any country.