Nanotechnology – Fact or Fiction?

There is a lot that we all don’t know about nanotechnology. That is probably because of all the myths that surround it. One of the popular myths surrounding nanotechnology is that it involves manipulating individual molecules and atoms to build different structures.

What does that mean? Is nanotech real? Well, it involves understanding and controlling matter at a nanoscale.

We have repaired this post to help you understand the truth about nanotechnology. We will check whether humans use nanotechnology in any way and much more. Let’s get started.

Understanding Nanotechnology

Nanotechnology, as mentioned before, is all about understanding and controlling matter at a nanometer scale. This is a scale that works with dimensions between 1 – 100 nanometers. As you would expect, a nanometer is a very small length unit. It is a billionth of a meter. To help you understand, a single hair has a width of around 90,000 nm.

Nanotechnology does not only mean working at small dimensions. Scientists can work at these scales so that they can manipulate and utilize different aspects of materials occurring at that scale. That means they can utilize the unique mechanical, chemical, optical, and physical properties of materials.

Is Nanotech Real?

Is Nanotech Real

There is an idea that nanotechnology – being so advanced – is futuristic and might be decades away from being used in any practical way. But that is not the case. Nano-products and nanomaterials are already in use in a wide range of products.

The textile industry, for instance, uses nanomaterials in different fabrics, dyes, and more. That way they can add certain properties to natural and synthetic fibers. One example is cotton fabrics that have nanoparticles. The added properties include stain and wrinkle resistance.

You will also find nanoparticles being used in many plastics, adhesives, paints, and cosmetic products.

Nanomachines

So, do nanomachines exist? The truth is, there is some confusion regarding the term nanomachines. When you hear the term, you might think of nanomachines with some artificial intelligence. Well, those are not yet being produced.

There are certain obstacles that scientists might face including quantum mechanics and statistical physics, which would prevent nanobots from being scaled-down robots. This is one of the reasons why Nano machines seem to be impossible.

Nanotech Future

While we cannot know the future, there are certain expectations. Some futurists believe that in a decade or so, nanorobots might be in our blood. IFL Science talks about DNA robots that are being tested on animals trying to deal with certain issues such as seeking and destroying cancer cells. They can move through the bloodstream and inject drugs into blood vessels around the tumors, which cuts off the blood supply.

Conclusion

So, is nanotech real? As you can see, nanotechnology is already being used in different aspects and products. However, we are not yet at the stage of producing nanomachines, even though it is a possible achievement we can expect in the future.

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