Acknowledgments.

Chapter 1 The Promise of Nanotechnology.

Defining Nanotechnology.

Top-Down versus Bottom-Up Manufacturing.

What is in Soot? The Different Forms of Carbon.

An Alternative Nature.

Money Makes the World Go ’Round.

Who Knows About Nano?

The Promise of Nano.

Skeptics.

Contemporaneous History.

Chapter 2 The Visionaries.

Richard Feynman.

K. Eric Drexler.

Ralph Merkle.

Ray Kurzweil.

Criticism of the Drexlerian Vision.

James Von Ehr.

Ernst Ruska and Gerd Binnig.

Mike Roco.

Chapter 3 On the Road to Nano-.

Lithography.

Molecular Biology.

Supramolecular Chemistry.

Chapter 4 Nanotools.

The Electron Microscope.

Scanning Probe Microscopes: STM, AFM and Variants Thereof.

AngstroVision.

Nanomanipulators.

Chapter 5 Nanoparticles and Other Nanomaterials.

Discovering the Buckyball.

Carbon Nanotubes.

Dendrimers.

Quantum Dots.

Chapter 6 Learning from Old Mother Nature.

The Gecko’s Foot.

The Eye of the Starfish: The Optical Network of the Sponge.

The Abalone’s Shell.

Diatoms: The Original Silicon Chips.

Natural Nanotubes.

Synthetic Nerve Membranes.

Co-Opting Biology.

Chapter 7 Nanoelectronics.

Spintronics.

Nanotube Memory Chips: NRAM.

Nanowires.

Thin Films of Glowing Polymers.

Nanorobotics.

Chapter 8 Nanotech-Enabled Biomedicine.

Delivering Drugs.

Medical Imaging: X-Ray Tubes.

Making the World Safe for MRI (Plus some other Stuff).

Nanoshells for Therapy.

Pumps.

The Strange Case Of Nanobacteria.

Medical Diagnostics.

Moving Water Around, a Little at a Time.

Nanoscale Antenna Controls DNA.

Artificial Joints.

Artificial Organs.

Artificial Cells.

Re-Inventing Biology.

Chapter 9 Financing Nanotech Dreams.

Charlie Harris, Venture Capitalist.

Implementing the National Nanotech Initiative.

Chapter 10 Mega-Sized Projects that Could Use Tiny Technology:

Three Somewhat Grandiose Challenges.

Energy: Independence from Fossil Fuels.

The Space Elevator.

Building a Quantum Computer.

Chapter 11 Fear of Nano: Dangers and Ethical Challenges.

The Grey Goo Scenario.

The Green Goo Scenario.

Environmental Catastrophe due to Inhaleable or Ingestible Nanoparticles.

Nanotech Will End Shortage-Based Economics.

People Will Live for Ever, Leading to Overpopulation.

Only Rich People Will Live For Ever.

Nanotechnology Will Turn Us Into Cyborgs.

Nanotechnology Could Create Weapons of Mass Destruction.

Nanotech Will Create Machines that are Smarter than Human Beings.

Nanotech Will Hasten the Arrival of the Singularity.

Regulating Nanotech.

Chapter 12 Final Thoughts on The Destination.

Index.