Аудирование "Nanotechnology"

Nanotechnology.

What’s nanotechnology?

Imagine if you had gone smaller by about 1500 million times! If you stepped into your living room, what you’d see around you would not be chairs, tables, computers, and your family but atoms, molecules, and cells. Now imagine you started moving those atoms around sticking them together in interesting new ways. You could build all kinds of fantastic materials, everything from new medicines to computer chips. Making new things at an atomic level is called nanotechnology and it’s one of the most exciting and fast-moving areas of science and technology today.

How small is nanometer?

Nano means “billionth”, so a nanometer is one billionth of a meter.

This is all very interesting and quite impressive, but what use is it?

This is the work of nanoscience: it helps us understand why things happen by studying them at the smallest possible scale. Once we understand nanoscience, we can do some nanotechnology: we can put the science into action to help solve our problems.

How do you work at an atomic level?

Your fingers are millions of nanometers long, so it’s no good trying to pick up atoms and molecules and move them around with your bare hands. Scientists have developed electron microscopes that allow us to “see” things at an atomic level and also work with them.

When did nanotechnology start?

Engineering at an atomic level isn’t a new thing. Animals and plants have long been using the nanostructures in their shells, skins and wings.

Can we use nanotechnology in our everyday life?

It could be you’re already using nanotechnology. Clothes have just got clever with nanotechnology: the materials today stay clean, warm, strong and dry.

Nanotechnology is big news in sport. Tennis and golf players, skiers and mountain bikers are already enjoying the advanced technology with lighter, stronger sports equipment.

The displays on everything from iPods and cellphones to flatscreen TVs are made from plastic built at an atomic level.

Faster, smaller, and more powerful computers with longer-lasting batteries use carbon nanotubes.

One of the most exciting areas of nanotechnology is building incredibly small robots from individual atoms. Nanorobots could be used in medicine. They could be injected into our bodies to make the necessary repairs.

Nanotechnology can be used in the food industry right from field to table. For example, nanomaterials could help keep food fresh for longer. Scientists are already manufacturing nano-sized vitamins that are easier for our bodies to take in.

That’s unbelievable!