What is an example of a fascinating application of nanotechnology?

I'm no expert on nanotech but I do know a bit about international development, and about applications of various tech in that area. Possibly the most important application of nanotech could be water purification. It may be possible to use nanotech based filtration system to provide lots of clean water at low cost.

That's a big deal for places where people don't have access to clean water at all, and also for places where people use a lot of water, and it is relatively scarce compared to the demand. youtube.com/watch?v=ycEnu9p1GPE The tech looks like it could do a good job of removing salt from seawater to make it drinkable and usable for agriculture, and also a good job of removing harmful microbes and pollutants. Whether the costs can ever come down to a level where this can be used on a mass scale is unknown, but I for one wouldn't be surprised if works out.

One thing that esp makes me smile is ths: berr.gov.uk/files/file28138.pdf Nanotechnology for sustainable water purification (2 page pdf) They're developing a technology that simultaneously uses sunlight to clean dirty water and generate electricity. Pretty cool if you ask me. Other readings on nanotech and water purification: sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080915... chem.usu.edu/~tapaskar/Robert-Water%20Pu... nanowerk.com/spotlight/spotid=2372.php.

This is only one example: During my thesis I collaborated with a group of very cool people who developed a system to release drugs upon light stimulation. This is how it worked: They call it caged-compounds (several other groups are using these as well). There is a type of complex organic molecule (bi-pyridine) that has the ability to bind certain small compounds and hide them (like in a pocket, or a cage).

Now, these cages can absorb different wavelengths (lights of different colors) and change their structure, thus releasing the caged compound. So we used this technology to release a neurotransmitter (glutamate) in a specific location and for a brief period of time, releasing it with blue light. We stimulated neurons in culture to asses their behavior in the presence of short, punctual and brief neurotransmitter sources.

I wish I could show you the video but it hasn't been published yet so I can't tell you much about it. This technology could be the basis for precise and controlled drug therapies.

1. IBM polymer-nanotechnology-lithograph technology for circuit design. Polymers as a material coating for chips to make electrical connections between the transistors 2.

Plastics ten times the strength of steel 3. Nanoaluminum can be added to rocket fuel producing more explosion energy 4. Nanosonic has created a metal rubber that is conductive of electricity and very flexible 5.

Andre Gobin is using nanoshells to reconnect tissue by apply minuscule silica beads covered in gold. Andre calls this process Laser tissue welding (LTW) 6. Jennifer West, Rice University says, "Medical Applications of Metal Nanoshells: Nanoshells are a new type of nanoparticle with tunable optical properties.

For medical applications, these particles can be designed to strongly absorb or scatter light in the near infrared where tissue and blood are relatively transparent. In a cancer therapy application, nanoshells are designed to absorb light and convert the energy to heat for tumor destruction. By conjugating antibodies or peptides to the nanoshell surfaces, binding of nanoshells can be targeted to cancerous cells, and subsequent exposure to near infrared light results in specific and localized destruction of the cancerous cells.

A photothermally modulated drug delivery system, optically-controlled valves for microfluidics devices, and a rapid whole blood immunoassay are also under development using nanoshells.

There are several applications of nanotechnology in early periods it self. Here are few example where carbon nano tubes are used in iron to with stand corrosion and for several other benefits benefits . Tipusultan sword is one of such example made 3 centuries back , and also in ajanta paintings nano technology is used in colors pigments for durability 2000 years back Its also said that famous delhi iron pillar also employed carbon nano tube technology 3000 years back.

This pillar is still uncorroded even with the current technology it said to be near to impossible to remake it .

I cant really gove you an answer,but what I can give you is a way to a solution, that is you have to find the anglde that you relate to or peaks your interest. A good paper is one that people get drawn into because it reaches them ln some way.As for me WW11 to me, I think of the holocaust and the effect it had on the survivors, their families and those who stood by and did nothing until it was too late.