The world's first computers filled whole floors of buildings. Within just half a century, however, we have
developed processors with much greater computing power that can sit comfortably on the tip of a finger. As
computers have evolved, they have significantly changed our lifestyles and thinking. In the course of history,
there have been repeated examples of new inventions and technological advances, such as the development of
machines and revolutions in human mobility, that have dramatically changed our society. Nanotechnology's impact
will be equally significant.
One vision awaiting realization is the nanobiochip, a fingertip-sized
chip packed with circuits for analyzing DNA sequences. Just as huge computers have been reduced to a similar
size, the nanobiochip would serve as a combined chemical plant and DNA sequencing lab, measuring a square centimeter
or two and offering such advantages as miniscule reagent quantities, high-speed reactions and minimum effluents.
This kind of technology should speed up processes and reduce costs in the field of gene therapy, and also bring
about a revolution in the areas of social hygiene and healthcare.
This is just one of many examples of the potential nanotechnology has for speeding up and reducing the cost of
complicated, time-consuming and expensive processes, while being available to all in society. This is likely
to have the same impact on our lives as the development of computers.
