A hypothetical fabrication technology in which objects are designed
and built with the individual specification and placement of each
separate atom. The first unequivocal nanofabrication experiments took
place in 1990, for example with the deposition of individual xenon
atoms on a nickel substrate to spell the logo of a certain very large
computer company. Nanotechnology has been a hot topic in the hacker
subculture ever since the term was coined by K. Eric Drexler in his
book Engines of Creation (Anchor/Doubleday, ISBN 0-385-19973-2),
where he predicted that nanotechnology could give rise to replicating
assemblers, permitting an exponential growth of productivity and
personal wealth (there's an authorized transcription at
http://www.foresight.org/EOC/index.html). See also {blue goo}, {gray
goo}, {nanobot}.
[glossary]
[Reference(s) to this entry by made by: {blue goo}{gray goo}{nano-}{nanobot}]