Above the Law: Nanotechnology brings wonders, risks

Imagine a world where plastics are stronger than steel, chocolate shakes are sweet without having sugar added and alloys are made that are as hard as diamonds. This "imaginary" world is the one we are living in today.

As a tech-minded person, I am always looking into new technologies and trying to see what the next life changing one will be. As it turns out, the next "big thing" is really small.

Nanotechnology is basically a branch of technology devoted to producing devices on an atomic scale. These devices could be as simple as single atoms utilized as a catalyst for a medium, or as complex as a machine built of atoms designed to function on a basic level.

Though this technology has been available and widely used for years, the average person is still unaware of how it shapes our lives and what it means for our future.

Currently, this technology is used in many applications such as plastics for vehicles to make them scratch resistant, lightweight and stronger. There are golf drivers that are designed to make you drive the ball farther. Even our clothing is nano-engineered, so that it is wrinkle free or stain resistant.

While these examples of nanotechnology are in line with the mundane, the future holds wondrous ideas that will revolutionize our entire lives. These range from delivering medicine in the body to individual cells, to actual programmable matter, to tissue engineering which would replace organ transplants.

The host of ideas and concepts that have resulted from the application of nanotechnology makes one's mind reel with the possibilities of what could become reality.

There is, however, one main hurdle that stands in the way of these dreams: the cost of production and assembly of these technologies.

When nanotechnology first became available, it was exceedingly expensive and difficult to do because of the current level of technology we had then. After some years, the Clinton administration began federal funding for this science, and former president George H. Bush even signed a bill allowing for $3.63 billion in funding over four years.

Due to this funding, the cost of the technology has been driven down in part to advancements in our ability to produce these commodities. Some experts believe it will still be years before we are able to see the full potential of this science.

Although there are many positive aspects to this technology, as with everything else in life, there are negative ones as well.

Nanotechnologies used in applications such as sunscreen have been shown to create free radicals that can damage DNA in humans. Their ability to interact with other living systems increases, because they can easily cross the skin, lung, and in some cases the blood/brain barriers due to their small size. Once inside the body, there may be further biochemical reactions that damage cells as well.

The amount of time and research into the field of nanotechnology has grown greatly over the years since the concept was first introduced, but further research is still needed in order to quantify the effects products will have on people.