This Is the Unbelievable Future That Awaits

Life in the age of true nanotechnology

What happens when the sweeping wave of technological progress meets our understanding of atomic physics? Manipulating atoms has, up until now, allowed us to make powerful bombs, computers, power plants, and the impressive works of art we call particle accelerators. Yet these feats are small in comparison to what lies ahead. As both our technology and our understanding of the atomic realm grow, humanity will enter a new era: an industrial revolution changing everything from our space exploration to the very lifespan of a human being. No era before has been quite so fantastical — none so near the magical, dreamy predictions of our beloved science fiction tales — as the upcoming Age of Nanotechnology. What lies before us is something of the bizarre, pushing the boundaries of what is possible for our species.

Today the term “nanotechnology” is often abused. It has been expanded to include objects on scales less than 100 nanometers. Any company can employ the term to make their product seem more efficient and cutting edge, though we are a long way from developing true nanotechnology in which it is possible to build and design machines with every atom and chemical bond chosen specifically. This was the original meaning of the word — visionary and enduring, unlike the usage of the word…