THE NANO WORLD IN SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, AND SOCIETY

The nano world refers to the realm of matter at the scale of nanometers (nm), where one
nanometer is one billionth of a meter. This realm is where the properties of materials can change
dramatically compared to their larger counterparts, leading to exciting opportunities in science,
technology, and society.
The concepts of nanotechnology and nanoscience started in December 29, 1959 when Richard
Feynman discussed a method in which scientist can direct and control individual atoms
and molecules in his talk “There’s Plenty of Room at the Bottom” during the American
Physical society meeting at the California Institute of Technology. The term “nanotechnology”
was coined by Professor Norio Taniguchi a decade after the dawn of the use of ultraprecision
machining.

Nanotechnology is revolutionizing various industries, offering solutions to challenges in areas

such as:

Health and Medicine: Nanoparticles can be used to deliver drugs directly to cancer cells,
minimizing damage to healthy tissues. Gold nanoparticles are being investigated as potential
treatments for cancer and other diseases. Nanotechnology is also being explored for regenerative
medicine, with potential applications in bone and neural tissue engineering.

Energy: Nanotechnology can improve the efficiency of solar cells by incorporating nanowires
into the panels, leading to more efficient conversion of sunlight into electricity.

Environment: Nanomaterials can be used to clean up oil spills, radioactive waste, and
contaminated groundwater. Silver nanoclusters can reduce polluting byproducts in industrial
processes.

Information Technology: Nanotechnology is being used to develop smaller, faster, and more
powerful electronic devices.

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Nanotechnology is an advanced interdisciplinary field that encompasses science and technology
that manufactures materials of great help to improvement of various areas of society especially
health care, environment, energy, food, water, and agriculture. It is a field that needs to
be
explored, not only by known experts but also neophytes, in order to advance our knowledge of
science and technology, and more importantly, to help improve our quality of life. But, before
we
engage in Nanotechnology, we need to take into account the social, ethical, and environmental
concerns of using such nanomateri
Nanotechnology is an advanced interdisciplinary field that encompasses science and technology
that manufactures materials of great help to improvement of various areas of society especially
health care, environment, energy, food, water, and agriculture. It is a field that needs to
be explored, not only by known experts but also neophytes, in order to advance our knowledge
of science and technology, and more importantly, to help improve our quality of life. But, before
we engage in Nanotechnology, we need to take into account the social, ethical, and
environmental concerns of using such nanomaterials.

THE ASPECTS OF GENE THERAPY

Gene therapy is a revolutionary approach to medicine that holds the potential to treat and
potentially cure a wide range of diseases by altering the genetic makeup of cells. It involves
delivering therapeutic genetic material into cells to correct faulty genes, replace missing genes,
or introduce new genes that can fight disease.

Types of Gene Therapy

Gene Addition: This involves introducing a new, healthy copy of a gene into the cell to
compensate for a faulty gene.
Gene Silencing: This approach aims to shut down the expression of a faulty gene that is causing
disease.
Gene Editing: This is a newer and more precise approach that allows scientists to directly
modify the DNA sequence of a gene.

Two forms of gene therapy

 Somatic gene therapy - which involves the manipulation of genes in cells that will be
helpful to the patient but not inherited to the next generation.
 Germ line gene therapy - which involves the genetic modification of germ cells or the
origin cells that will pass the change to the next generation.

Applications of Gene Therapy

1. Genetic Disorders: Treats inherited diseases like sickle cell anemia, cystic fibrosis, and
Huntington's disease.

2. Cancer: Uses genes to stimulate immune response or correct genetic mutations.

3. Infectious Diseases: Develops genes to resist infections like HIV.

4. Regenerative Medicine: Uses genes to repair or replace damaged tissues.

CLIMATE CHANGE AND THE ENERGY CRISIS

Climate Change

Climate change refers to the long-term warming of the planet due to an increase in average
global temperature.

The cause of climate change

1. Burning fossil fuels (coal, oil, gas)

2. Deforestation and land-use changes
3. Natural Causes

The effects of climate change

1. Rising sea levels and coastal flooding

2. Extreme weather events (heatwaves, droughts, storms)
3. Impacts on Human Health

The Energy Crisis

The energy crisis refers to the increasing difficulty in meeting global energy demand while
ensuring a sustainable and secure energy supply. The crisis is driven by:

1. Increasing global energy demand

2. Depletion of fossil fuel reserves
3. Environmental concerns and climate change mitigation efforts

The energy crisis has significant economic, social, and environmental implications:

1. Energy poverty and unequal access to energy

2. Environmental degradation and greenhouse gas emissions
3. Water scarcity and land-use conflicts
Science, Technology and Society
Hand-out title : The Nano World
Prepared by : Pier Angelie Malate

Nanotechnology refers to the science, engineering, and technology conducted at the

nanoscale, which is about 1 to 100 nanometers. Nanoscience and nanotechnology employs the
study and application of exceptionally small things in other areas of science including materials.
Nanoscience and nanotechnology employs the study and application of exceptionally small
things
in other areas of science including materials science, engineering, physics, biology, and
chemistry.
The concepts of nanotechnology and nanoscience started in December 29, 1959 when Richard
Feynman discussed a method in which scientist can direct and control individual atoms
and
molecules in his talk “There’s Plenty of Room at the Bottom” during the American
Physical
society meeting at the California Institute of Technology. The term “nanotechnology” was
coined
by Professor Norio Taniguchi a decade after the dawn of the use of ultraprecision machining