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Nanotechnology is technology on a molecular level. This is not particularly new. Chemists have been doing it since the days of alchemy. Today’s engineering field of Materials Engineering is really based on nanostructures. Two technologies, rubber and coatings are really early nanotechnologies. What has given this field its modern look are the scanning microscopes in which molecular structures can be more less seen directly. This technology even makes manipulating individual atoms and molecules possible.
If there is a distinct beginning to this new look, it is a lecture by Richard P. Feynman, December 29, 1959 to the American Physical Society at Caltech. He invites listeners to a new technology of miniaturization. He talks about putting the whole Encyclopedia Brittanica on the head of pin. At the time, the question would probably be why but in today’s world of computers that question would not even be asked. His point is that there is plenty of room for storing things at the bottom. Microscopes seem at their limit impeding progress at this level and he pleads for a breakthrough. --- and then there were the scanning microscopes!! He talks of ways to manipulate atoms and so on. If you want to read what this prophet of technology has to say, you might start with “The Pleasure of Finding Things Out: "The Best Short Works of Richard P. Feynman" Persus Books, (1999) Chapter 5 (There's Plenty of Room at the Bottom)
Why this site? This website is dedicated to learning and following this new technology during its explosive growth. The most common question, I have heard in discussions, what value is it? --- or how can I make money from it. There are and will be many ways to profit from Nanotechnology. The key to this is knowledge and understanding. That is the point of this site. Its approach is to define, describe and discuss with links to the details in other sources.
The problem is that, this is not so easy especially for the reader without much background in the sciences. Unfortunately this is too common in those who wish to profit from new technology. However, persistence I believe anyone interested can learn the fundamentals and develop the necessary knowledge and understanding for profiting from Nanotechnology. E.B. Westlake, the successful, late founder of Westlake Plastics and other companies liked to advise new employees how to succeed in Plastics. When he started as a young sales engineer, he said he would read Modern Plastics cover to cover each month. He would write down each term he didn’t and find out it definition and relevance. At first he hardly knew anything, but eventually he got the point where he knew more than most of his colleagues and competitors. When I prepared for my preliminary exams for the PhD, each day I went to an isolated classroom and would start from the beginning and review each theory and equation until I learned them backwards and forwards. I worked and I passed both the major and minor exams on the first try.
Recommendations: On this basis. I have some recommendations for everyone on any level.
1. Start regularly with this website and start with the points and pages that interest you most.
2. For each point of interest go to the patent or article and read as much of the details as you can. Note the definitions and points you don’t understand.
3. Go back to this website and look for the points you don’t understand. If you don’t find them. send an email to myself, the editor (cornelrd@bee.net) and I will try to answer, as well as out the points on the website for future readers. Remember this is a new site and it will take some time to get a lot of the points on the site. Another good source is the Wikipedia, a free online encyclopedia.
4. Repeat steps 1 to 3 over and over again. You will be surprised how quickly you learn and the field will become more interesting as you understanding grows.
Ideas that are necessary to Nanotechnology are related to atoms and molecules and their strange behavior. I will try to describe the necessary fundamentals for following this technology. The more background in these areas one has, the easier it will be. However, it is not impossible even if you do not have this background, to learn the necessary fundamentals. If you don’t understand, please let me know and I will try to explain these points. In fact, you can help me make this site effective, by telling me what works and what doesn’t work.
