What is nanotechnology? Its effect on enviroment, health and other areas of interaction.?

Answer 1

Nanotechnology has actually existed for some time. The commercial nanotechnology relates to the creation of novel materials that act in new ways. The basic idea is to be able to order atoms into specific locations within a material matrix. Carbon nanotubes are a good example.

The more advanced concept is the development of machines at the atomic level, capable of performing physical or chemical work. These might be designed to remove cancer cells from the body for example.

Experimentally, ways to manipulate material at the atomic level to create nano motors (giving the molecules a means of propulsion) have been demonstrated.

The risks that concern scientists are the possible unintended effects of nanotechnology if released accidentally into a broader environment. We've seen this on a small scale where genetically altered wheat has been mixed with non-altered strains unintentionally. Nano-machines carry the potential to cause harm to our environment if accidentally released.

However, technologies such as carbon nanotubes are too valuable to ignore because of these risks. The carbon nanotube will be the basic building block of the space elevator which NASA hopes will one day allow payloads to be launched into space very cheaply.

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Answer 2

Nanotechnology are little robots about the size of cells. As far as I know they don't really exist yet.