The Dance of Molecules: How Nanotechnology is Changing Our Lives.

THE DANCE OF MOLECULES: How Nanotechnology Is Changing Our Lives TED SARGENT

Nanotechnology is all the rage among materials scientists today, but few laypersons are fully aware of Its potential, Sargent asserts. A professor of nanotechnology at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, he trumpets the promise of his field throughout science and technology. Nanotechnologists are manipulating structures that would have to be blown up 1,000 times even to be seen in an optical microscope, he explains. The book offers a detailed history of nanotechnology and the development of remarkable structures such as carbon nanotubes. Possible applications for such devices include diagnosing cancerous tendencies of individual cells, controlling a drug's delivery with implanted microchips, making better solar panels than exist today, and creating computers that mimic biological systems. Going beyond a mere thought exercise, Sargent calls on scientists to embrace this new technology in a responsible way that will improve people's lives without threatening their health or the environment. Avalon, 2006, 234 p., b&w photos, hardcover, $25.00.