Nanotechnology

TBD

Fiction

This month's booklist starts out a little different with a look at a sampling of fiction titles that feature nanotechnology. Nanotechnology has been used in fiction for decades: sometimes beneficial, sometimes in nefarious ways. Enjoy these glimpses of what *was* the future when they were written.

The Punch Escrow by Tal M. Klein (2017)
- It's the year 2147. Advancements in nanotechnology have enabled us to control aging. We've genetically engineered mosquitoes to feast on carbon fumes instead of blood, ending air pollution. And teleportation has become the ideal mode of transportation, offered exclusively by International Transport--the world's most powerful corporation, in a world controlled by corporations.
Accelerando by Charles Stross (2005)
- The saga begins with Macx patriarch Manfred, a freelance venture altruist, giving away patentable high-tech ideas in exchange for endless handouts while looking forward to the day when nanotech-programmed smart matter surpasses humanity in intelligence and productivity. Fifteen years later, his adolescent daughter Amber is an indentured astronaut trolling the orbit of Jupiter, and by 2070, Sirhan is Amber's permanently space-bound offspring, paying witness to the fruits of his grandfather's early innovations as something ominous and nonhuman is systematically dismantling the planets from Pluto to Earth. - Booklist
Robert Ludlum's The Lazarus Vendetta by Patrick Larkin (2004)
- When an attack on a nano-technology research facility leaves thousands dead--- protestors and scientists alike---from what appears to be a cloud of inadvertently released but gruesomely deadly nanobots, pandemonium reigns. Lt. Col. Jon Smith is activated by Covert-One to find and uncover the truth about Lazarus where all others have failed.
Prey by Michael Crichton (2002, also available as an audiobook)
- In the Nevada desert, an experiment has gone horribly wrong. A cloud of nanoparticles--micro-robots--has escaped from the laboratory. This cloud is self-sustaining and self-reproducing. It is intelligent and learns from experience. For all practical purposes, it is alive. It has been programmed as a predator. It is evolving swiftly, becoming more deadly with each passing hour. Every attempt to destroy it has failed. And we are the prey.
The Diamond Age by Neal Stephenson (2000)
- Stephenson breaks new ground in a grand-scale forecast of the coming nanotechnological revolution. John Percival Hackworth is a cultured nanotech engineer who risks the censure of his neo-Victorian social class, or tribe, when he forges a copy of an interactive, computer-driven book called A Young Lady's Illustrated Primer. With the unprecedented power to single-handedly educate its reader, the primer is designed to shape the values and maintain the superiority of the dominant tribe. During a mugging, however, Hackworth loses the copy to a lower-class thug, who in turn gives it to his sister Nell. As Nell learns secrets from the magic book, her understanding of herself and her world grows in ways the primer's designers never intended, and the entire destiny of society changes irrevocably. - Booklist
Assemblers of Infinity by Kevin J. Anderson (1993)
- This superior action-sf novel is a variation upon a venerable theme: an alien artifact signaling the advent of invasion. The artifact is involved in a fatal accident at a near-future base on the moon. The incident's repercussions percolate up the chain of command, provoking questions and responses from progressively higher levels. Anderson and Beason make the political and technological extrapolation fairly straightforward, and in fact this is the kind of sf novel whose appeal should overlap with that of the technothriller, sort of a Tom-Clancy-meets-space-advocacy effort. - Booklist
Blood Music by Greg Bear (originally published 1985)
- The Hugo and Nebula Award-winning author of Moving Mars presents the book that mixed genomics with nanotechnology, featuring a scientist who conducts an experiment in cell restructuring that takes on a threatening life of its own.
Fantastic Voyage by Isaac Asimov (1966)
- Four men and a woman are reduced to a microscopic fraction of their original size, sent in a miniaturized atomic sub through a dying man's carotid artery to destroy a blood clot in his brain. If they fail, the entire world will be doomed. The classic novel was also made into a movie.

Non-fiction

The books below are just a sample of what's available at Cleveland Public Library on the subjects of nanotechnology, nanoscience, and their many applications including the medical field. The library owns both circulating and reference titles in this area. Click the titles below to link to the library's catalog to place a hold or to get additional information.

Megatech: Technology in 2050 edited by Daniel Franklin (2017)
- In this bold new book, Daniel Franklin brings together today's most innovative scientists, leaders, thinkers, and writers to imagine how future technology will develop and shape our lives. The result is a thought-provoking collection of insight and imagination that will inspire us to make the most of future opportunities just as it motivates us to tackle the environmental, economic, and social challenges ahead.
Silicon Earth: Introduction to Microelectronics and Nanotechnology by John D. Cressler (2016)
- This book can be (and is) used as a textbook for a college level class; but, an individual can read and enjoy the book in its entirety. It is incredibly thoughtful--the math and details behind the theoretical concepts are properly put forth. Also, there is an interesting chapter on the biographies of the giants of the field, as well as chapters that tear apart everyday microelectronic gadgets (this is sure to pique the interest of both engineering and non-engineering students). - Choice
Structural DNA Nanotechnology by Nadrian Seeman (2015)
- Readers will learn everything there is to know about the subject from the unique perspective of the leading expert in the field. Topics covered range from origins and history, to design, experimental techniques, DNA nanomechanics devices, computing, and the uses of DNA nanotechnology in organising other materials. Clearly written, and benefiting from over 200 full colour illustrations.

Government Documents

The US Government has released reports and other information in the field of nanotechology. Click the links below to connect online.

National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI) at nano.gov
- The site includes a "Nanotechnology 101" for basic information and a wealth of resources and other publications including the NNI Supplement to the President's 2018 Budget.
National Cancer Institute Office of Cancer Nanotechnology Research
- The mission of the Office of Cancer Nanotechnology Research is to strategically develop, fund, and administer initiatives aimed at solving modern oncology problems with nanotechnology solutions.
Nanotechnology - The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
- NIOSH leads the federal government health and safety initiative for nanotechnology.
21st Century Nanotechnology Research and Development Act
- For an historical perspective, this act from 2003 shows the beginnings of the government's backing for research into this area of science.

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