Manufacturing Nanotech Wonders

More than 20 years ago, when the Trends editors began to follow the work of nanotech visionaries like Eric Drexler, most mainstream analysts dismissed nanotechnology as “science fiction.” In the interim, nanotech has become the darling of venture capital and one of the biggest targets of serious scientific research. Mass-produced nanomaterials employing nanoparticles and carbon nanotubes are becoming mainstream. However, true nanodevices are for the most part still meticulously built in laboratories one molecule at a time. That’s because the technology to quic.....