What Is Nanotechnology? 

"Grandpa, can you tell what it says on the packing bag?" Mackle asked.

"Wow, something you don't understand?" Grandpa picked up reading glasses and read carefully. No wonder Mackle didn't understand, because they were Chinese characters which meant 'nanotechnology', a term difficult even for Grandpa to understand.

"I don't understand it either. I haven't studied such difficult Chinese," Grandpa smiled and waved his hand.

Mackle thought he didn't need to look it up in the dictionary. Now he had to.

'Nanotechnology', a simple word but hard to understand for Mackle, "What kind of technology is it? What is 'nano'?"

A series of questions made him a little confused, but he would figure them out.

He turned to his dad and decided to use dad's cell phone to call his favorite science teacher. "The science teacher must know what kind of technology it is, " Mackle thought.

As expected, his science teacher immediately explained the term nanotechnology, one of the most cutting edge advances in modern science.

"The full name of 'nano' is nanometer. It is a unit of length similar to meter and centimeter. A nanometer is equal to one-billionth of a meter. Well, how long exactly is it? We all know hydrogen is the smallest atom in the world. A nanometer is approximately the length of ten hydrogen atoms lined up. A human hair is about 60,000 nanometers in diameter. So you can imagine how small a nanometer is. When an object or material is scaled down to the nanoscale, its properties are different significantly from those at larger scales. Its performance in terms of optics, dynamics, electronics, etc., will be better than other general materials. Nanomaterials can be much lighter, stronger, tougher and more durable than ordinary materials. They can also change the electrical conductivity of materials. Anyway, nanotechnology has opened up a new world for human exploration of materials," the teacher said.

As the name suggests, nanotechnology is to do cool things with 'nanoscale' materials. It studies materials with particle sizes ranging from 0.1 nm to 100 nm. Through nanotechnology, such materials can produce surprising new applications. In the medical sector, nanobots can be injected into our bloodstream to examine bodies and treat diseases. In environmental science, nanomaterials can be good filters to turn dirty water into drinkable water. In the computer sector, nano-memories are much smaller and can store more information.

It can also improve our life quality. For example, nanomaterials can make tougher glass and longer-lasting batteries; nanocoating materials can make ceramic tiles or glass stain-resistant and self-cleaning. Nanotechnology offers tens of thousands of possibilities to change our life for the better awaiting to be discovered by young people like you!"

"Of course, with such a learned teacher as you, I'm sure I can learn it well. Haha," Mackle expressed his thanks.

The teacher smiled, "Smart boy. The topic of our next class will be ‘nanotechnology’. You will be invited as the teacher. Get ready."

Author: Zhu Yawen