Tech
Emerging
6
range in size from 1 nanometer (one-billionth of a
meter) to 100 nanometers. The concept of nanotech-
nology extends back to 1959. That is when renowned
physicist Richard Feynman spoke at an American
Physical Society meeting. Feynman described a future
in which
atoms
and
molecules
would be manipu-
lated one by one using precise instruments.
Feynman claimed that tools could be built to cre-
ate and operate even smaller tools. This process
would be repeated until the tools were tiny enough to
work on individual atoms and molecules.
The idea of working with devices on such a
small scale gained credibility over time. Scientific
breakthroughs resulted in greater knowledge of nano-
technology. Such learning led to new ideas about its
potential benefits in the world of medicine.
The Artistic Side of Richard Feynman
Richard Feynman was a Nobel Prize–winning physicist who predicted the coming of
nanotechnology. But he was also a man of many other talents. His sense of humor made his
lectures and books highly entertaining. He was also an artist whose primary focus was on
drawing. A collection of his artwork was published in 1995 in a book titled
The Art of Richard P.
Feynman: Images by a Curious Character
. Feynman also became quite adept at playing the bongo
drums. He died in 1988 at the age of 69.
