Does nanotechnology suffer from an image perception?
It does, in a number of ways. In the 1980s, popular science fiction books described nanotechnology as leading to some kind of nano robots that could enter your body and cure diseases like cancer. Around 2000, the US set up a National Nano Initiative and this coincided with the dot-com bust. Venture capitalists rushed into the field, imagining it would be the next big thing after the dot-com boom. But it doesn’t work this way. Any technology is backed by years of research — look at the evolution of the transistor or even the computer. One good outcome of the venture capitalists’ encouragement is that an average of $2-$4 billion is now being invested in universities worldwide engaged in nano research. What are the biggest challenges for nanotechnology? The perception problem. Because people cannot understand nano, this technology is a little removed from the public domain. Companies and governments need to come together and make people aware of this technology. Nano cannot cure cancer o
