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Nano-technical factors also raised of a new era, our relationship is in the field of biology and technology. Because scientists have recently manipulate single atoms, it is not far - acquisition, manufacturers, scientists, I believe that day will you more than a few atoms in diameter wheels and gears. As a big leap forward in a single atomic operation, we have reached an agreement within the scientific community microprocessor - a machine the size of atoms, and achieve the foreseeable future.           Micromachines are Coming     In [the movie] Back to the Future, Doc Brown's hover car was energized by the cosmic power of the sun in a device no bigger than a tea kettle, raising the question: how small can machines be made?   Nanotechnology is a field that promises perhaps the smallest of all possible machines. Although many major conceptual breakthroughs are needed to bring nanotechnology to the marketplace, it seems perfectly consistent with the laws of physics. Moreover, its promise is so amazing that it cannot be easily dismissed.   Nanotechnology may well open up a new era in our relationship to biology and technology. Because scientists have recently been able to manipulate individual atoms, it is not farfetched to believe that one day scientists will be able to manufacture gears and wheels that are no larger than several atoms in diameter. Given the enormous strides in manipulating single atoms, there is a consensus within the scientific community that atomic-size micromachines may be within reach within foreseeable future.   What is particularly exciting (and extremely controversial) about nanotechnology is the belief that these machines may be able to scavenge molecules from their environment to reproduce themselves, creating an unlimited  number of molecular robots that can perform feats of engineering that defy our imagination. About a tenth of a micron in size, these micromachines would be able to manipulate individual atoms, creating an atomic Lego factory. With trillions upon trillions of these molecular robots converging on a site, biological and engineering problems that are currently impossible to deal with may (at least in principle) be solved.   Like viruses and bacteria, these atomic micromachines will have the power to make duplicates of themselves, so they will multiply like living entities and reshape the environment around them.   Some of the ways which such machines could be used include:   — destroying infectious microbes —killing tumor cells one by one —patrolling our bloodstream and removing plaque from our arteries —cleaning up the environment by devouring hazardous wastes —eliminating world hunger by growing cheap and plentiful foods —building other types of machines, from booster rockets to microchips —repairing damaged cells and reversing the process of aging —building supercomputers the size of atoms   ...Because they are self-replicating, the cost of these molecular machines would be almost nothing. One can literally dream up thousands of mind-boggling applications for such armies of molecular robots that can reproduce and manipulate the atoms around them.           — Michio Kaku, Visions: How Science Will Revolutionize the 21st Century (1998), Chapter 13 – The Quantum Future               Indexes/11