Inventors and scientists have been continuously working towards reducing the size of technological components. Room-sized computers to laptops that are slimmer than a pane of glass? It’s done. Huge bulky telephones to smartphones that can fulfil a lot more? A thing of the past. The real question is, to what extent can all this go? Will we see smartphones that can be embedded in human bodies? Or is there more to it?
Nanotechnology has been around for a while now. It is a branch of technology so minuscule that it can operate on a microscopic level. And what’s more, it can be programmed to do whatever is desired of it. Richard Feynman was the physicist who first gave birth to an idea of nanotechnology and nanoscience in 1959. With his paper titled “There’s plenty of room at the bottom”, Richard laid the vision on top of which nanotechnology is being developed today. And in the future, it is expected to greatly change the way our world operates.
“Nanobot” is a term that people may have gotten used to because of Hollywood science fiction movies. As the name suggests, a nanobot or a nanorobot measures about a few nanometers, where 1 nm = 10-9 meter. With properties like self-replication (producing copies of themselves to replace defective units) and molecular manufacturing (building nanoscale circuits and devices), nanobots have a host of applications that can be implemented in our day-to-day life. They are highly valued in healthcare, construction, telecommunications and disaster management.
Here are some of the areas where nanobots can be of immense help and value
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World’s Rivers “Overdosing” on Human Antibiotics, Study Finds
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Yale Scientists Solve a Century-Old Brain Wave Mystery
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Can introducing peanuts early prevent allergies? Real-world data confirms it helps
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Nanoparticle blueprints reveal path to smarter medicines
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How nanomedicine and AI are teaming up to tackle neurodegenerative diseases
When I first realized the scale of the challenge posed by neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), I felt simultaneously humbled and motivated. These disorders are not caused [...]
Self-Organizing Light Could Transform Computing and Communications
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Groundbreaking New Way of Measuring Blood Pressure Could Save Thousands of Lives
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Scientist tackles key roadblock for AI in drug discovery
The drug development pipeline is a costly and lengthy process. Identifying high-quality "hit" compounds—those with high potency, selectivity, and favorable metabolic properties—at the earliest stages is important for reducing cost and accelerating the path [...]
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