Nanotechnology
Whether
we
want
it
or
not,
nanotechnology is in today’s sciences a very
promising field of research. The main idea of
this kind of technology is to manipulate
matter at the nanometer size, or in other
words, at the size of one one thousand
millionth meter (10-9 m).
It results interesting to work with
particles or material this small, mainly
because matter at this size does not
follow basic rules of physics, but also
because at this size, the world seems so
big that there are endless possibilities
just at the touch of our hands.
Nanoparticles are already being used in our everyday world, the
most common example would be the titanium dioxide used as a UVfilter in sunscreens. Also, very used nanotechnology products we do
not realize are Carbon Nanotubes, available in many sport
equipments; due to its low weight and its high resistance we can see
Carbon Nanotubes in items from bicycles to surfboards and tennis
racquets.
There will always be people against any type or scientific
development, and nanotechnology is no exception. Our society
began worrying about the huge waste it can generate, but also, the
scientific community is beginning to experiment with the use of
nanoparticles in medical treatments, so the worry relies on the safety
of these new courses of treatment.