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Scholarship essay on impact of nanotechnology
Scholarship essay on impact of nanotechnology
Scholarship essay on impact of nanotechnology
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Nanotechnology and the Future
In an earth that is full of cell phones, laptops, PC’s, palm pilots, flat screen televisions, I-pods, EZ pass, and many other gizmos and gadgets, it is hard to imagine our universe becoming even more high-tech. Many people could not make it through a week, or even a couple of days without a cell phone, car, or television. To make our world even more complicated, the continuous emergence of nanotechnology is creeping upon us, and it will affect out lives whether we want it to or not. Nanotechnology could help us in different fields of medicine, yet it could also be a threat to the human identity. Whatever the case may be, new technology could end up showing us that our human meaning is much more vulnerable than we thought!
Our futures are continuously questioned due to new and different forms of nanotechnology. The future medical revelations provided by the appearance of nanobots are extremely exciting, but at the same time, incredibly daunting. Ralph Merkle and Eric Drexler, two experts on nanotechnology, describe “nanobots” as microscopic robots that are transported into our bodies and “build copies of themselves” (Kurzweil 561). These atomic nanobots are launched into our bloodstreams and eventually impact our immune system for the better. For example, our immune system will become much stronger, and ultimately will be able to destroy diseases a million times faster than any antibiotic could. More specifically, this technology will allow medicine to be more accurate, and sooner or later these nanobots will be able to “remove obstructions in the circulatory system and even go as far as killing cancer cells” (Merkle).
In addition, this nanotechnology will also enable technicians to bui...
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...gsjord). After all, if we had our whole lives set by nanobots, then who are we and what is our identity?
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In the article “Pinpointing Cancer Fight,” Liz Szabo states the uses of nanotechnology and how researchers are attempting to use this advancement to fight cancer. She defines that nanotechnology is a type of technology that creates devices on an atomic level; this equipment can allow people such as researchers to use its ability to detect cancerous cells as well as treat them. Szabo remains a neutral tone as she states that while some are against the idea of using nanotechnology since there are many risks, others are optimistic that it may lead to transformational results. She presents a list of some products developed through nanotechnology and explains its usage in addition to mentioning the failure of those nanotech products. Szabo provides
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K. Eric Drexler is known to be “the founding father of nanotechnology,” and theorized the creation of mechanical nanoscale systems that would revolutionize the world of manufacturing and technology. However, many opponents of his theory feared the implications and applications of such nanotechnology, and therefore began to spread panic through the concept of the menacing “grey goo.” “Prey” by Michael Crichton delves into the concepts Drexler proposed concerning nanorobotics computation and artificial intelligence through an interesting and insightful science fiction novel. Crichton delves in to the ethical implications of the unpredictability of evolutionary and machine learning programs, inability of technologists to learn from past mistakes,
...nessing “the power of nanotechnology” to radically change the way we diagnose, treat, and prevent cancer.” The most likely method implemented will by the use of nanovectors for targeted delivery of anticancer drugs, and then heating nanoparticles that are attached to cancer cells so that the cancer cells explode. (5, 9) There are still many obstacles that must be overcome before this is a reality: from the ethical concern by some that nanobots will take control of the body to the more practical problem that this method of treatment will be very expensive and funding will be an issue. (6) But with millions of people suffering from some form of cancer, scientists are searching for cures and treatments and nanotechnology offers the greatest promise. One day, cancer may be completely curable thanks to nanotechnology which is something everyone would benefit from.
...ch AMATYC Algebra Curriculum Reform.” 24 Jan. 2010 < http://www.amatc.org/ publications/Electronic-proceedings/LongBeach22/Steinfort.pdf> Rimer, Sara. “First Woman Takes Reins at Harvard.” The New York Times. 13 Oct. 2007. 23 Jan. 2010 “Secretary of Education Richard Riley addresses Mathematicians.” American Mathematical Society. 8 Jan. 1998. 24 Jan. 2010 Williams, Mara Rose. “What’s A Degree Really Worth?” NorthJersery.com. 24 Jan. 2010. 24 Jan. 2010 Zernike, Kate. “Making College ‘Relevant’.” The New York Times. 29 Dec. 2009. 24 Jan. 2010 < http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/03/education/edlife/03careerism-t.html>
At present, the nanobots cannot be made small enough. But he states that in 30 years we will be able to miniaturize (shades the movies Fantastic Voyage and Inner Space) them and send billions of the blood cell sized scanning machines through every capillary of the brain to create a complete noninvasive scan of our every neural feature. Perhaps noninvasive on a physical level, but what about our emotional and spiritual levels?
Sarah Balistreri is a coordinator in the Office of Academic Initiatives at the College Board. F. Tony Di Giacomo is a director in Research & Development at the College Board. Ivanley Noisette is a Mitchell Scholar. Thomas Ptak is a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Oregon. 2012, The College Board. College Board, Advanced Placement Program, www.collegeboard.org.
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Nanotechnology includes nanorobots which are so small that they can be injected into the human bloodstream after which the nanorobots can do investigations or repair at cellular level. Nanorobots could optimize the delivery of pharmaceutical products, these means that medicines which are targeted on a specific type of cells can be delivered to only those cells by the nanorobots. The robots can attach to the cells after which they can inject the drug into the target cells. This could be a great breakthrough for cancer treatments such as chemotherapy because there is a minimal chance of injecting healthy cells with the drug and therefor negative side effects can be avoided.
There is no doubt that the accomplishments made through technology are astonishing. Technology has made amazing impacts on everything from science in space to medical science to the devices we use every day that make our lives easier. People are living longer and better than ever before, but we can’t forget how to live without it. “Just because technology is there and makes something easier doesn’t mean we should rely on it so much that we can’t think for ourselves,” (Levinson).
The procedures that will be the future of modern medicine currently fall into the realms of taboo and fictional. These procedures encompass every aspect of medical science, from exploration of the human body, curing diseases, to improving a person’s quality of life. Many of these procedures are not very well known, while a few have been in the spotlight. These procedures include cloning, nano-robotics, retro-viruses, and genetic manipulation via gene-specific medications. For any serious breakthroughs in modern medical science, we must embrace these new forms of treatment instead of shying away from them. Second, I’ll attempt to explain how these methods and procedures could benefit mankind.