|
Nanotech was first discussed by Richard Feynman in a 1959 talk, when he explained: “The principles of physics, as far as I can see, do not speak against the possibility of maneuvering things atom by atom. It would be, in principle, possible … for a physicist to synthesize any chemical substance that the chemist writes down…. How? Put the atoms down where the chemist says, and so you make the substance.” It’s as simple as that. If you can figure out how to move individual molecules or atoms around, you can make literally anything. Nanotechnology so advanced that it allows us to engineer at an atomic level is called molecular nanotechnology (MNT).
Richard Feynman在1959年的演讲提到了纳米技术:据我所知的物理学理论不反对原子级操作。原则上物理学家合成化学物质,化学家记下来会怎样?按化学家所说放置原子来合成“物质”。就是这么简单。如果你能掌控分子或原子,你就能直接做出任何东西。纳米技术先进到让我们能够处理原子级别时,我们称其纳米分子工艺。
Humans haven’t yet conquered MNT, and scientists debate how long it’ll take humanity to get there. But when we do, we might look back on today’s technology as terribly primitive, like the picture scientist Ralph Merkle paints: “Today’s manufacturing methods are very crude at the molecular level. Casting, grinding, milling and even lithography move atoms in great thundering statistical herds. It’s like trying to make things out of LEGO blocks with boxing gloves on your hands. Yes, you can push the LEGO blocks into great heaps and pile them up, but you can’t really snap them together the way you’d like.”
人类还未攻克纳米分子技术,科学家也在关注多长时间能达到。一旦达到我们就是觉得现在的技术是如此原始,就像Ralph Merkle画的那幅画:“当今分子级别的制造方法太粗糙了。铸造研磨铣削甚至光刻都是原子的大量堆积。这就像带着拳击手套玩乐高积木。你可以把乐高积木堆成一堆乱拼起来,但是不能准确拼成你想要的形状。” |
|