ABOUT << NANO>>

So why is nanotechnology going to be the making of a revolution? Simply put, because it will affect almost every aspect of our lives, from the medicines we use, to the power of our computers, the energy supplies we require, the food we eat, the cars we drive, the buildings we live in and the clothes we wear. More importantly, for every area where we can imagine an impact, there will be others no-one has thought of—new capabilities, new products, and new markets. Given the breadth of impact, in the short- and medium-term this will be, by and large, a gradual, insidious revolution, creeping into the world around us for many years to come, although in some areas there might be disruptive changes just over the horizon.

It is important to realize the diversity of nanotechnology. It is an enabling technology, allowing us to do new things in almost every conceivable technological discipline. Like other enabling technologies, such as the internet, the internal combustion engine, or electricity, its impact on society will be broad and often unanticipated (electricity was initially promoted as an alternative to gas lights, but from it we have developed telephones, computers, and the internet, and most of our lives would be impossible without it). Unlike these examples, nanotechnology is not so easy to pin down—it is a general capability that impacts on many scientific disciplines; it is multidisciplinary. This multidisciplinary nature presents a challenge for the scientific community and the R&D bodies of governments and industry but it also a reason to expect the unexpected, as scientists used to living separate lives learn to converse and work together.