1Today we're going to look at an important area of science, namely nanotechnology.
2So what is it?
3Nano means tiny,
4so it's science and engineering on the scale of atoms and molecules.
5The idea is that by controlling and rearranging atoms, you can literally create anything.
6However, as we'll see, the science of the small has some big implications affecting us in many ways.
7There's no doubt that nanotechnology promises so much for civilisation.
8However, all new technologies have their teething problems.
9And with nanotechnology, society often gets the wrong idea about its capabilities.
10Numerous science-fiction books and movies have raised people's fears about nanotechnology -
11with scenarios such as inserting little nano-robots into your body that monitor everything you do without you realising it,
12or self-replicating nano-robots that eventually take over the world.
13So how do we safeguard such a potentially powerful technology?
14Some scientists recommend that nano-particles be treated as new chemicals with separate safety tests and clear labelling.
15They believe that greater care should also be taken with nano-particles in laboratories and factories.
16Others have called for a withdrawal of new nano products such as cosmetics
17and a temporary halt to many kinds of nanotech research.
18But as far as I'm concerned there's a need to plough ahead with the discoveries and applications of nanotechnology.
19I really believe that most scientists would welcome a way to guard against unethical uses of such technology.
20We can't go around thinking that all innovation is bad, all advancement is bad.
21As with the debate about any new technology, it is how you use it that's important.
22So let's look at some of its possible uses.
23Thanks to nanotechnology, there could be a major breakthrough in the field of transportation
24with the production of more durable metals.
25These could be virtually unbreakable, lighter and much more pliable
26leading to planes that are 50 times lighter than at present.
27Those same improved capabilities will dramatically reduce the cost of travelling into space
28making it more accessible to ordinary people and opening up a totally new holiday destination.
29In terms of technology, the computer industry will be able to shrink computer parts down to minute sizes.
30We need nanotechnology in order to create a new generation of computers
31that will work even faster and will have a million times more memory
32but will be about the size of a sugar cube.
33Nanotechnology could also revolutionise the way that we generate power.
34The cost of solar cells will be drastically reduced
35so harnessing this energy will be far more economical than at present.
36But nanotechnology has much wider applications than this
37and could have an enormous impact on our environment.
38For instance, tiny airborne nano-robots could be programmed to actually rebuild the ozone layer,
39which could lessen the impact of global warming on our planet.
40That's a pretty amazing thought, isn't it?
41On a more local scale,
42this new technology could help with the clean-up of environmental disasters
43as nanotechnology will allow us to remove oil and other contaminants from the water far more effectively.
44And, if nanotechnology progresses as expected -
45as a sort of building block set of about 90 atoms -
46then you could build anything you wanted from the bottom up.
47In terms of production, this means that you only use what you need
48and so there wouldn't be any waste.
49The notion that you could create anything at all has major implications for our health.
50It means that we'll eventually be able to replicate anything.
51This would have a phenomenal effect on our society.
52In time it could even lead to the eradication of famine
53through the introduction of machines that produce food to feed the hungry.
54But it's in the area of medicine that nanotechnology may have its biggest impact.
55How we detect disease will change as tiny biosensors are developed to analyse tests in minutes rather than days.
56There's even speculation nano-robots could be used to slow the ageing process, lengthening life expectancy.
57As you can see, I'm very excited by the implications that could be available to us in the next few decades.
58Just how long it'll take, I honestly don't know.