Nanoscience & Nanotechnology: Overview

Applying the scientific method to further understand the behavior of atoms and molecules at the nanometer scale will push forward the frontiers of human knowledge. Currently, our vision of the nano-world is based only on evidence that we collect from the macroscopic world that we live in. Presently biologists, chemists, physicists and engineers only have a mental picture of what is occurring at the nanometer scale. In fact, only very recently have they actually seen or directly observed nano-events.

As an analogy, suppose you were presented with a gift that was in a box and wrapped with paper. In an effort to guess what is in the package, you could shake it or maybe drop it. Based on how the package behaves under this "interrogation", you may get an idea of what is in it (i.e. is it heavy, does it make a noise?). With the

Nano-RT evolution, scientists will be able to open the package... and really see what is inside.

With new ideas and methods, scientists are beginning to further understand how a single atom or molecule behaves. Even more interesting is the direct understanding of how collections of two or three or even a dozen atoms or molecules behave.