Nanotech Flattener

     The word flattener has been used abundantly in the past few weeks. We talked about how access to the Internet can educate those in poverty-stricken regions with a connection. The shift of labor and uptick in the frequency of international corporate moves have created markets and jobs for those who were akin to indentured servants or peasants. The issue itself is in-depth as we have found out with ramifications for the U.S., manufacturing economy to service economy,  as well as cultures embracing or resisting the global flux. But, we all know that the accelerating technology expansion has created a world that shifts form, constantly with a new face. Undoubtedly, this leads to new flatteners, and my inquiry of this post is what might be the prime candidate might be for this.

     Nanotechnology:

     To me, I believe that nanotechnology will drive the future to limits that have not been foreseen. Now, I don't necessarily propose the so-called Singularity theory where technological advancement will be accelerated that our basis human nature will be changed (although that is possible down the road as collective attitudes and customs change). However, nanotechnology will be the primary technology of this century like the steam engine was in the 1800s and computers in the last one. With molecular manufacturing, nano factories will be produced that can create life-size objects with precision on an atomic scale. The improvements to efficiency will realize massive energy savings and create nano machines that can absorb carbon, deliver drugs, or desalinate the water. And, according to Ralph Merkle in the video above, there will be cost savings in nano manufacturing compared to our version now.

     What exactly is this? Nanotechnology will be created like many products today are, and that is through computer modeling and simulations. Despite this, the technology itself will work all by itself and won't need human intervention since it would be hard to fix things that small. There will be nano size versions of parts today such as engines, computer chips, and even brakes. One by one, the atoms will be stacked together to form a product that can be nano size itself or perhaps your new car!

     How far is this though? Merkle said the first assembled molecular 3D object won't happen for a few years, yet a comment pointed out that this happened already since that talk. The surprising part is that it came a little over a year later. The way it occurs has an interesting analogy according to Neil Champness:

       “It is the molecular equivalent of throwing a pile of bricks up into the air and then as they       come down again they spontaneously build a house”

                     http://www.gizmag.com/3d-molecular-structures-built-on-surface/17066/

     Flattening the world is what nanotechnology will do. No longer  will one need massive real estate to make things, albeit they will need some space to store and ship. Regardless, more importantly, today's cost comes from powering and using machines to make the machines as well as the raw material. In this nanotechnology age, all one needs is adequate computing power which itself is growing incredibly fast instead of the bulky machines. Remember dial-up in 1996 and the "beep" when connecting? Now one can watch a movie on the computer when videos were rare on the Internet a few years back.

   This technology will be cheap to manufacture, and so the prices of the products could possibly be much cheaper than today after the initial novelty wears off. This makes it easier for countries to implement nano-help programs where an advanced country can provide nanotechnology at an affordable rate to help the impoverish will illness, pollution, energy, water, food, and even vision or teeth. Nearly anything made by people can be reproduced on an atomic level if manufacturing is perfected. Also, those poor people with access to a decent computer can educate themselves with online tutorials (that are getting more advanced) and create art, videos, technology, and software that are on a college level.

     In conclusion, nanotechnology will fundamentally change our world in a way that will lower costs, make innovation possible for anyone, and allow atomic precision to improve everything we make today. Overall, nanotechnology is inevitable in our scientific evolution. A concern that I ask to anyone who wishes should ponder is this: what will happen to jobs in a world where manufacturing doesn't need people? I believe that there will be, for the foreseeable future, a human part of manufacturing, but millions employed today can possibly lose their jobs to this technology. The ethics of infusing machines in bodies will definitely meet resistance. How this will be resolved are issues of the future.