WHAT IS NANOTECHNOLOGY?

The rate of scientific and technological progress in recent years largely depends on the use of artificial objects of nanometric proportions. Materials created from the use of such objects are called nanomaterials, while the methods of production and use are referred to as nanotechnology. Nano means very small. One nanometre is equal to one billionth of a metre or one millionth of a millimetre. For comparison, the diameter of a human hair is 5,000 nanometres. Another example, if we assume that the diameter of the earth is 1 metre, a nanometre would be equal to the diameter of a football. In other words, nanotechnology is a technical concept on an extremely small scale. For in-stance, the size of a nanometre can only be compared with that of an atom and, in this case, nanotechnology deals with atoms rather than with objects. Nanotechnology is currently developing in three directions: the design of electronic chips of atomic or molecular proportions; the production of tools of such proportions; the assembly of items from atoms and molecules. 

The concept of "nanotechnology" is increasingly popular these days, although most people supporting this area of science and technology have only superficial knowl-edge of the concept. An encyclopaedia from 1966 has no definition of "nanotechnol-ogy" at all. The first significant budget resources were allocated for the development of this sector in the USA. President Clinton managed to explain in a comprehensible image that by using a substance the size of a lump of sugar it is possible to produce material 10 times stronger than steel. According to prominent specialists in nanotech-nology, this is a door to a completely different world.

Over $9 billion is invested in nanotechnology around the world every year. Countries of the European Union and Japan are among the frontrunners. Research into nanotech-nology is also conducted in the post-Soviet countries, including Azerbaijan. Accord-ing to one forecast, the number of people working in different sectors of the nanotech-nology industry will reach 2 million in 2015.

   Nanomaterials are used today in the production of protective and light absorbent surfaces, sporting equipment, transistors, radiating diodes, fuel elements, medical preparations and equipment and food packaging. Nanomixtures are added to diesel fuel, increasing engine efficiency by 4-5 per cent and reducing contamination from exhaust gases. Since 2002, tennis balls have been produced using nanotechnology.

Optimistic forecasts are being voiced with regard to the application of nanotechnol-ogy. It is predicted that it is fully capable of replacing methods used in microelectron-ics, optoelectronics and medicine, because it has much greater potential. 

The well-known scientist J. Storrs Hall is sure that nanotechnology will be extensively used in all spheres of human life. The application of goods and food produced in this way will completely change entire industries. Here is just one example. In carbohy-drate nanopipes, electrical wires will be able to conduct voltage better than copper cables, and it will also be easier to lay them. Nanomaterials will significantly reduce the cost of automobile catalytic converters which treat exhaust gases for hazardous substances; this will be possible due to the saving of platinum and other precious metals used in these devices. Nanomaterials will also be widely used in the oil indus-try and such new bio-industries as genomics and proteomics (sciences of human life).

In his book "The Dance of the Molecules" physicist Ted Sargent says that the intro-duction into living organisms of certain nanosystem medicines, which have already been designed, will enable us to achieve physiological changes. These medicines will help strengthen immunity against specific disease-causing organisms.

The author of "Fantastic Voyage", Ray Kurweil, says that nanorobot doctors, to be created in the future, will, after "settling down" in a human organism, eliminate or prevent the occurrence of injuries. On a theoretical plane, nanotechnology will make it possible to achieve the physical immortality of man by regenerating dying human cells. According to some forecasts, medical facilities the size of a postage stamp will appear in the near future. After contact with a wound they will be able to conduct an instantaneous blood analysis and determine and inject the necessary medicines.

 The first nanotechnology-based robots will be developed soon. Theoretically, it is possible that the robots will be able to produce any item from already existing atoms. Nanotechnology can also work wonders in agriculture, as molecular robots will super-sede agricultural plants and animals, the robots will produce the food. For example, it is theoretically possible to produce milk from grass without the cow being involved.

Nanotechnology is also capable of stabilizing the environment, because new industries will prevent the appearance of pollutants. Nanorobots will help create a habitat suit-able for man on other planets. In other words, the world will be rebuilt. Nanotechnol-ogy will have an extraordinary impact on the entire planet.

The ancient Greek philosopher Democritus could be considered the founder of nanotechnology. He was the first to use the word atom in 400 B.C. In Greek, this word means indivisible. In an article published in 1661, Irish chemist Robert Boyle disputed Aristotle's statement that the world consists of four elements - water, earth, fire and air; in those days this statement by Aristotle was treated as the basis of phi-losophical alchemy, chemistry and physics. Boyle attempted to prove that every body consisted of corpuscles - extremely small fragments. Different combinations of these fragments created different substances and objects. After the invention, by German scientists Max Knoll and Ernst Ruska in 1931, of an electronic microscope, the first research into nano-objects was conducted.

In 1971, the Japanese physicist Norio Taniguchi introduced the notion of nanotech-nology to science, and suggested that mechanisms smaller than one micron should be so named. In 1981, German physicists Gerd Binning and Heinrich Rohrer invented a microscope capable of showing separate atoms. In 1985, US physicists Robert Curl and Richard Smaley invented technology capable of measuring objects with a diame-ter of 1 nanometre. From 1986, information about nanotechnology became available to the public. In 1989, US physicist Richard Feynman predicted that many scientific problems would be resolved once scientists began working with atoms.

Today, "a new industrial revolution" is taking place with regard to nanotechnology. History proves irrefutably that all new rational inventions and scientific and techno-logical achievements serve, on the one hand, as an impetus to the development of mankind and, on the other, leave man face to face with dangerous moments.

An article about the future of nanotechnology written in 2004 proves that nanotech-nology is classical technology with a general function. Other, similar technological developments, such as the steam engine, railways and electricity, pioneered an indus-trial revolution. Such innovations begin life as basic technology possessing limited capacity, but then they spread to many spheres of life. As a result of the new opportu-nities, old technology is totally replaced. This is proved by the replacement of steam by electricity and the telegraph by email. Such replacements will not only continue in the near future, but will even accelerate. This will be promoted by nanotechnology. In about 20 years, current industrial enterprises will have disappeared.

The author of "Engines of Creation", Eric Drexler, says that the buyer of an industrial product today has to pay for its design, the materials used, labour, transport expenses, storage and sale. Nano-factories will be capable of producing large volumes of goods anywhere and at any time. As a result, many of the above-mentioned operations will no longer be necessary. Thus it is not yet known how nanoproduction will affect prices and employment.

 The flexibility of nanotechnology and the opportunity to produce much improved products lead to the conclusion that in many industries ordinary goods will not be able to compete with nanoproducts. The concentration of nanotechnology in one pair of hands will lead to a new monopoly. Scientists think that by current standards the products of nanotechnology will be very expensive. Powerful monopolies will allow the owners of such technology to establish high prices and fetch a handsome profit. And this will mean that millions on low-incomes will be unable to take advantage of vital, cheap technology.

There are other possible problems as well. By taking over nanotechnology, terrorists and criminals could cause enormous damage to society. Chemical and biological weapons could become dangerous tools in their hands. It would not be particularly difficult to create new types of weapons intended to kill people from great distances. It would be very easy to conceal such a weapon, while to detect and render it harmless would be a major problem. It will also be more difficult to convict people of such crimes.

 On the other hand, the state will also acquire new possibilities. Theoretically, it will not be a problem to create very small, cheap computers. Secret programmes on such computers could facilitate continuous control of the population. It will be possible to create monitoring and tracking equipment at very little cost. Automated technology created from the production of billions of complex devices costing only a few dollars may apply to both one man and to everyone. There will be medical equipment capable of modifying brain structures relatively easily. This, in its turn, will enable the stimu-lation of different parts of the brain and different psychic activity. This could be the beginning of nanotechnology addiction.

Military nanotechnology has a rather difficult future. Just imagine an "invisible in-sect" the size of about 200 microns, released into the habitat of defenceless people and injecting poison into their bodies. By creating 50 billion such insects it would be possible to destroy the whole of mankind. Such a weapon could easily fit into one briefcase. Firearms developed on the basis of nanotechnology will be very powerful, while the shells will be capable of finding and destroying the target themselves. It will be almost impossible to track aerospace equipment with radar because only minute quantities of metals will be used in its production. In-built computers will be capable of remotely activating any weapon, while more compact sources of energy will con-siderably improve the effectiveness of robots. During military action priority will be given to the destruction of people, rather than military hardware or industry. Special-ists are already alarmed because nano-particles can easily infiltrate human and animal organisms through the skin, respiratory channels and the digestive tract.

Certain nano-objects can have a toxic impact on cells. For instance, hydrocarbon nano-pipes, which are considered to be the most promising nano-material for the near future, have this capacity. Upon entering an organism, nano-particles of polystyrol cause the inflammation of lung tissue and create the conditions for the obstruction of blood vessels. There is also information that hydrocarbon nano-particles impede the working of the heart and weaken immunity. Another contributing factor is the produc-tion of many nano-structures by different methods, which leads to varying impacts of nano-products on humans and their habitats.

In 2004, the council on scientific policy of the US Environment Protection Agency established a working group of experts and tasked it with developing a White Book devoted to the investigation of threats emerging as a result of the application of nanotechnology. A draft version of this document has already been published. Authors of the project define nanotechnology as research at the level of atoms, molecules and macromolecules. However, there is so far very little information about the environ-mental impact of uncontrolled emissions of nano-waste, because a serious investiga-tion of their behaviour has only just been launched. Although it is known that nano-particles can concentrate in the air, soil and water, there is not enough information available for modelling these processes. It is also known that nano-particles decom-pose under the impact of light and chemical substances, as well as after contact with micro-organisms. These processes, however, have yet to be fully examined.

Experiments using fish and dogs have shown that spherical, multi-atom hydrocarbon molecules are capable of destroying brain tissue. The infiltration of nano-particles into the biosphere may lead to different consequences. However, the shortage of informa-tion in this sphere prevents a full prognosis. This is why authors of the White Book recommend that the threats and risks associated with environmental pollution be studied comprehensively and on a large-scale basis.