WEBVTT

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A big change is coming in our lives.

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We\'re at the beginning of a revolution
that will harness the world

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of the infinitesimally
small the nanouniverse.

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Working at the incredible scale of one millionth
of a millimeter scientists are now freely moving

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individual atoms and molecules.
They\'re predicting that

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the science of the minuscule will
open a new world of possibilities.

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The nanotechnology is a key for the future,

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because it\'s not just one thing.
It impacts every single area life.

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The ultimate goal of nanotechnology

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is the complete control of the
physical structure of matter

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and it\'s already taking hold in major cities
around the world. But most of us will never notice

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its arrival, because this
technology is invisible.

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Atoms that react to light are being
used to coat walls and windows,

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so they automatically clean themselves. A
nanofiber that is stronger and lighter than steel

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is finding its way into all kinds of
high performance sports equipment.

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And nanoelectronic research is
underway that could bring up

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fundamental change to the
tracking of goods and people.

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Even a nanoscience computer that
mimics the workings of the human brain

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may one day become a reality.

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With new super efficient materials nano
promises a complete transformation

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in how we live our lives.

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So open your minds to the science of the
small and the future it could make possible.

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[music]

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[music]

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We have always counted on new
technologies to help and shape our world.

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Now researchers are crossing
another technological frontier.

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In the nano dimension

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they\'re learning to manipulate the most
intimate mechanics of life. And they promise us

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more control of our bodies
and of our environment.

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This three part series

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explores a mysterious and unknown
universe and the revolution it promises.

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[music]

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Around the world cities
are growing up and out.

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And nanotechnology is about to bring
enormous and invisible change

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to the people living in them.

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Already architects and engineers are
working with the wave of nanomaterials

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synthesized in laboratories. They\'re
the first products of research

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which began about 30 years ago.

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Professor Jim Gimzewski has spent his entire
professional life in the realm of the very small

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based at UCLA, he\'s a world renowned expert

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on the physics and chemistry of single molecules
and a central figure in the invention

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that open the doors to
this minuscule arena.

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And we are interested in biologically
inspired types of circuit, so if you…

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Dr. Gimzewski was one of the first people
to observe science at work on a nanoscale.

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In the 1980s

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at IBM Zurich, he was part of the
team that developed a new instrument

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called the scanning tunneling
microscope or STM.

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These microscopes don\'t have lenses
like optical scopes. What they do is

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scan the surface of a sample
like reading (inaudible).

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The scale is one millionth of a millimeter.

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This is world of individual atoms.

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The STM has an ultrathin probe
that can read a surface

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and convert the gathered information
into an image. From that moment on

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scientist could see and
study the nanouniverse.

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The STM was the first time people
could actually make pictures,

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images of atoms and molecules. Certainly
people were able to understand

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things in a different ways
on the basis of single atoms

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rather than millions and billions
as I had done in the past.

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The use of the new technology would lead to

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another astonishing discovery. When the
probe came within one nanometer of an atom

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current flow and by harnessing the energy

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scientist found they could
move individual atoms.

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[music]

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The scanning tunneling microscope
enabled them also to actually touch

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molecules and atoms and for the first
time manipulate them on surfaces

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and generate structures that were
unimaginable for hundreds of years before.

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[music]

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But if scientists can move atoms they
could potentially build and shape them

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into something new, a discovery that would
profoundly change scientific thinking.

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STM technology was to evolve steadily

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and so launch nanoscience into
a range of different fields.

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[music]

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Some engineers speculate that one day there
will be lightweight passenger aircraft

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which fly through the air. But for now the
nanoproducts that are commercially available

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are distinctly more (inaudible).

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Take glass, in this Japanese airport

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the walls are made almost entirely of glass

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almost 15,000 paints, but
how to keep it clean?

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At Central Japan International Airport

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the glass has been treated with a photocatalytic
coating which cleans the surface automatically,

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it\'s window cleaning the nano way.

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[music]

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There are titanium dioxide clusters only
10 nanometers in diameter on the surface.

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UV light changes the oxygen in the air

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into high energy molecules
called reactive oxygen.

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These molecules breakdown
the dirt particles

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just like in a detergent ad

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if you smudge dirt on to the
nano glass and then compare it

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with equally dirty regular
glass under ultraviolet light

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there\'s an obvious difference.

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[music]

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There is another feature that enhances self
cleaning of the nano-treated glass, rain.

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On regular glass

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water forms into droplets,
but on nano glass

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water reacts with the nanomaterial and
spreads coating the surface evenly.

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In this stage the water can seep in between

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the glass surface and dirt washing it away.

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The photo-catalysts

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they\'re actually tiny nanoparticles and the affiance
of them and how they work is really dependent

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on their shape and so once we can understand their
shape and we can modify their shapes and so on

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and then dimensions of those particles, then we
can obtain something that\'s very, very efficient,

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because just a big piece of, you know, titanium
dioxide doesn\'t perform these functions.

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Photo-catalytic coatings

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are already widely used in cities
across Japan on highway sound barriers,

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on the walls of houses,

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even in hospital washrooms.

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You even find nano-coatings
on antiviral masks,

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another example of the unseen
spread of nanotechnology.

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Other scientists have succeeded
in building materials

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that could potentially revolutionize
construction and engineering.

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What they have in common is
a radically new component,

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tiny building blocks, carbon nanotubes,

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it\'s a new form of carbon where atoms
had been joined into hexagon structures

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and then rolled into a
single cylindrical form.

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The diameter is an unbelievable one nanometer
or hundredth thousandth of the width

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of the human hair.

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So carbon nanotubes are actually an
example of the first material to be,

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you know, engineered and created
in a laboratory by man is not,

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you know, some exs… you know,
existing material that\'s modified.

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That is a very unique umm… capability.

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Carbon nanotubes knows as CNT

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are 20 times stronger than steel.
They were created by accident in 1991

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when a Japanese scientist was
working on another nano-project.

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There were many applications for such promising
lightweight material but the challenge was

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how to mass produce the
tubes in sufficient volume.

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And so often happens in nanotechnology the
jump from laboratory to production line

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can be problematic.

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I want to talk to you about a new design.
At the University of Oklahoma

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Professor Daniel Resasco
came up with a solution.

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To speed up the growth process
he developed a catalyst

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which can function in the nanodimension.

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Sequentially using hydrogen,

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nitrogen and carbon monoxide Dr.
Resasco then adds the catalyst.

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You need a very special catalyst
to produce single hole in a tube,

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so you have a cluster and around
this cluster a cap is formed

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and then once the cap is formed the rays of
the nanotube grows by self assembly of atoms

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around this first cut. So
the nanotubes will grow

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from the original catalyst.

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This remarkable self organization

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at the nano level allows for easier
production of the nanomaterials.

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[music]

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Seen the potential of this building process
Dr. Resasco set out to devise the system

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to mass produce semiconducting
carbon nanotubes

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with financial support from NASA he built a
bigger reactor and repeated his lab experiment

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on a larger scale.

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The output of carbon nanotubes
has steadily increased

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prompting corporations around the world
to find new uses for the wonder material.

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Carbon nanotubes make
products lighter, stronger

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and more durable. They\'re already used
in the manufacture of sporting goods

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and construction materials.

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Concrete sets faster and lasts longer,
giving architects and engineers

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more freedom and flexibility.

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The carbon nanotubes have been
absolutely huge potential

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and if you start again to use your imagination and
start to imagine you know the different forms

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that you can achieve on a very large
scale where you\'re not limited

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by the usual loss, you know, that the
govern has structures are formed.

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So there is no limitation

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except the human imagination and creativity and that
is probably in science and engineering of the future

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that is the… the most important thing.

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Where might these leads of
the imagination take us?

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We\'ve jumped into the future to dramatize
how the technology might unfold.

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To look at space travel

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through the eyes of a child.

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[music]

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Jonny is almost eight.

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For a long while he
wanted to fly a spaceship

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until I told him about riding into space
on an elevator. That changed everything.

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It\'s all he ever thinks about these days.
They haven\'t built

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a space elevator yet of course, but
it\'s coming soon or so they say.

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Until about 50 years ago when
carbon nanotubes were discovered

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the idea of a space elevator would
have been dismissed as rubbish,

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because materials were too heavy back then.
There\'s nothing like space technology

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to captivate an eight year old. Rocket
travel never really appeals to me,

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too dirty and too dangerous. An elevator?

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Here we go.

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That\'s different. Just get in, press start

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and you\'re away. Maybe
I\'ll join Jonny one day.

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I still need to add 26000 kilometers and
join it with Geosynchronous satellite,

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then it\'ll be done.

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Most of us use computers every day.
In a short period of time

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the personal computer has
taken over our lives.

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We use them at work,

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we use them at home. They enable our
cities to function more efficiently,

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but how do you increase
their power and function?

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Nanotechnologists are trying to build
an ever more powerful computer.

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One that far exceeds
anything we have today.

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The computer has been
around for nearly 70 years.

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Its size has steadily shrunk
from filling up an entire room

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to fitting in our hands, it\'s
also become more efficient

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working billions of times faster
than it did in the early days.

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[music]

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Current technology uses
silicon to build the chips.

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Silicon wires less than 10 nanometers
apart interfere with one another.

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They don\'t function as efficiently and
sometimes seize to operate all together.

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As things become

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faster and more dense they become smaller
and we start to hit some fundamental limits

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and those fundamental limits will stop
the current technology advancing.

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The nano scientist\'s vision of future

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is one that defies traditional
limits in size, scale and design.

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Here at the TJ Watson Research Center

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in New York State, this computer
manufacturer is developing

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a remarkable new nanomaterial
that could revolutionize

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computer technology. It\'s called
Graphene and it\'s being developed

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by Dr. Chun-Yung Sung\'s
research group at IBM.

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Dr. Sung believes it will
replace conventional silicon.

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Graphene is made out of carbon atoms that have been
arranged into hexagons forming a two dimensional sheet,

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it\'s less than one nanometer thick.
It\'s extremely strong

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and flexible and can carry high currents

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approximately a 1000 times
more efficiently than copper.

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Graphene has a lot of advantage

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and the number one is one atomic
layer very easy to scale as it…

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very small devices. And number
two, is a very high mobility

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and the device is made by graphene
tends to have a very fastest speed.

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This combination of properties means
it suited for use in a wide range

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of electronic devices. Dr. Sung\'s
team has been studying graphene

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as a potential replacement for
computers silicon switches.

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Most electronic devices are
based on digital electronics.

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They require a set of switches to
work together in an organized way.

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If the switches can be made to be more efficient
and more effective there\'s a similar gain

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in efficiency and performance.

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In Japan they are working on a concept
that could further advance the technology.

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Dr. Masakazu Aono

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is one of the world\'s leading
nanomaterial scientist.

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A few years ago Dr. Aono was
studying electrical circuits.

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Then by accident he observed
an interesting phenomenon.

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He had placed

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silver sulfide and platinum one nanometer
apart. When he applied voltage

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the silver atom started to grow.

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It was a discovery that became
the basis of the design

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of the world\'s smallest atom switch.

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The distance between the two
electrodes is one nanometer.

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As electric current flows individual
atoms leap out acting as a switch.

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[music]

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So we achieve the switching
motion by moving and

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controlling just a few atoms.
The computer is in a messing of

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countless on off of switches like that.
And it calculates and memorizes

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through individual switches
going on off, on off.

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So basically it makes it possible
for us to make it very small.

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Dr. Aono found

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another interesting characteristic of
the atom switch, as power is increased

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the switch maintains its own
position despite being shut off.

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It\'s similar to how personal
computers are able to reboot

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very quickly after being shut down.

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It was a discovery that assured in
another phase in computer evolution.

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When UCLA\'s Professor Jim Gimzewski

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heard about the atom switch,
he decided to visit Japan.

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His idea was to use the atom switch

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in a neuromorphic computer, one
that could potentially mimic

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the human brain. The researcher\'s
collaborations between Dr. Aono\'s lab in Japan

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and professor Gimzewski\'s lab in California

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and their long-term goal is to
build artificial neurosystems.

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The human brain is made up
of a 100 billion nerve cells

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called neurons.

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Neurons transmit electrochemical signals
to each other and to the rest of the body.

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The signals are conveyed at intersections

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where two neurons come close together
in a junction called a synapse.

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[music]

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Professor Gimzewski believes that this interaction
parallels what happens in the atom switch.

00:22:00.000 --> 00:22:04.999
And when I saw it,

00:22:05.000 --> 00:22:09.999
I started to think we can use this in a
different way. We can use this in a way

00:22:10.000 --> 00:22:14.999
where these elements are likely you
call synapse. These are things you know

00:22:15.000 --> 00:22:19.999
inside the neurons, the trigger
information. And I started to see

00:22:20.000 --> 00:22:24.999
these devices are behaving like neurons.
So how could we wire them together?

00:22:25.000 --> 00:22:29.999
And when I thought how do wire them together,
I looked at the structure of the brain.

00:22:30.000 --> 00:22:34.999
And when you look at the neurons
you know they\'re interconnected

00:22:35.000 --> 00:22:39.999
kinda tangle messy, I thought, well let\'s make the
wires that way. And… and… and sort of mimic the brain.

00:22:40.000 --> 00:22:44.999
Professor Gimzewski was convinced that

00:22:45.000 --> 00:22:49.999
he could structure the silver and sulfur
atoms in a computer creating a structure

00:22:50.000 --> 00:22:54.999
that mimicked the brains complex system.

00:22:55.000 --> 00:22:59.999
In his research lab in Los Angeles work was
soon underway to build the brain circuit.

00:23:00.000 --> 00:23:04.999
[music]

00:23:05.000 --> 00:23:09.999
The first step was to recreate the
structure of the neurons in the brain.

00:23:10.000 --> 00:23:14.999
If Gimzewski could achieve that the
system would theoretically function

00:23:15.000 --> 00:23:19.999
like the brain. If you watch

00:23:20.000 --> 00:23:24.999
the brain circuit assembled you\'ll see
that embedded in this complex pattern

00:23:25.000 --> 00:23:29.999
are billions of atom switches.
Professor Gimzewski then applied

00:23:30.000 --> 00:23:34.999
a current to the circuit and witnessed
the circuit changing its configuration.

00:23:35.000 --> 00:23:39.999
The circuit links where current
flowed became stronger and thicker

00:23:40.000 --> 00:23:44.999
allowing for more current to flow.

00:23:45.000 --> 00:23:49.999
The artificial circuit also
showed signs of the phenomenon

00:23:50.000 --> 00:23:54.999
that mimicked memory. It doesn\'t
have any real knowledge

00:23:55.000 --> 00:23:59.999
and then as experiencing these things
it starts to develop connections

00:24:00.000 --> 00:24:04.999
and then has an experience and from this
past experience then it can predict

00:24:05.000 --> 00:24:09.999
let\'s say future experiences
and that is umm… process of

00:24:10.000 --> 00:24:14.999
let\'s say learning and developing.

00:24:15.000 --> 00:24:19.999
Okay, so when we look
through this data, we see…

00:24:20.000 --> 00:24:24.999
Professor Gimzewski\'s team was applying a
constant current to the brain circuit.

00:24:25.000 --> 00:24:29.999
When the current suddenly
soured to an unexpected level,

00:24:30.000 --> 00:24:34.999
what was going on?

00:24:35.000 --> 00:24:39.999
[music]

00:24:40.000 --> 00:24:44.999
The team began collaboration with scientists
at the university in Majorca, Spain.

00:24:45.000 --> 00:24:49.999
Gimzewski has been working

00:24:50.000 --> 00:24:54.999
with Argentinian brain scientist,
Professor Dante Chialvo.

00:24:55.000 --> 00:24:59.999
Chialvo has been studying brain patterns

00:25:00.000 --> 00:25:04.999
and has been measuring the electrical currents transmitted
through the brain when we experience emotions.

00:25:05.000 --> 00:25:09.999
Professor Chialvo was amazed

00:25:10.000 --> 00:25:14.999
at the similarities between the artificial
brain circuit and the human brain.

00:25:15.000 --> 00:25:19.999
In the human brain when
we think of something

00:25:20.000 --> 00:25:24.999
especially evocative or are
overcome with emotions

00:25:25.000 --> 00:25:29.999
there\'s a sudden flood of signals.
And the basic mechanism

00:25:30.000 --> 00:25:34.999
of the human brain and the basic dynamics of
these atomic switches is exactly the same

00:25:35.000 --> 00:25:39.999
and is not just a metaphor.
It\'s only the physics

00:25:40.000 --> 00:25:44.999
that… that rules this collective
process is universal.

00:25:45.000 --> 00:25:49.999
Research into the brain computer circuit

00:25:50.000 --> 00:25:54.999
is still preliminary, but
Professor Gimzewski aims one day

00:25:55.000 --> 00:25:59.999
to develop an alternate intelligence.

00:26:00.000 --> 00:26:04.999
The current goal is for this umm…
system to be able to learn things

00:26:05.000 --> 00:26:09.999
and it could learn you know what you like. You
could learn your habits when you grow up.

00:26:10.000 --> 00:26:14.999
You would have coffee there. It could be
your friend. It\'s an extraordinary vision,

00:26:15.000 --> 00:26:19.999
one that seems closer to science
fiction then contemporary science.

00:26:20.000 --> 00:26:28.000
[music]

00:26:30.000 --> 00:26:34.999
Welcome to the nanofuture, a world of virtual
experiences and even virtual relationships.

00:26:35.000 --> 00:26:39.999
I guess I\'m very much at
home in the virtual world.

00:26:40.000 --> 00:26:44.999
It\'s just so perfect. You can
just step into another universe

00:26:45.000 --> 00:26:49.999
any time you like. And it\'s
out there thinking about you.

00:26:50.000 --> 00:26:54.999
98% of customers with your
pallet love to see desert.

00:26:55.000 --> 00:26:59.999
[music]

00:27:00.000 --> 00:27:04.999
I mean, you hardly have to leave the house.

00:27:05.000 --> 00:27:09.999
I even have a personal shopper.

00:27:10.000 --> 00:27:14.999
98% of customers like you who bought
that dress only wore it once…

00:27:15.000 --> 00:27:19.999
It\'s just no end to the
ingenuity, take Jonny.

00:27:20.000 --> 00:27:24.999
Jonny, Jonny. He\'s an artificial intelligence
I\'ve been raising for eight months now.

00:27:25.000 --> 00:27:29.999
I\'m his virtual guardian.
He\'s programmed to grow

00:27:30.000 --> 00:27:34.999
12 times faster than a real child.
So today he\'s eight,

00:27:35.000 --> 00:27:39.999
birthdays are always a special treat. Jonny,
did you remember today is your birthday?

00:27:40.000 --> 00:27:44.999
Of course I remember Miss Violet.

00:27:45.000 --> 00:27:49.999
With Jonny there\'s no mess, no
fights, no disappointments.

00:27:50.000 --> 00:27:54.999
And he\'s always so grateful.

00:27:55.000 --> 00:27:59.999
Make a wish and blow out the candles.

00:28:00.000 --> 00:28:04.999
Congratulations. Thank you
very much, Miss Violet.

00:28:05.000 --> 00:28:09.999
[music]

00:28:10.000 --> 00:28:14.999
Go on enjoy your cake. Thank you
very much, this is my favorite kind.

00:28:15.000 --> 00:28:19.999
But what is really extraordinary
is that so you don\'t get bored

00:28:20.000 --> 00:28:24.999
the designers building deliberate
mistakes, the imperfections.

00:28:25.000 --> 00:28:29.999
How is it, good? Character feelings that\'s
what you\'re saying. How does it taste?

00:28:30.000 --> 00:28:34.999
Sweet, because it\'s cake. You don\'t
have to say because it\'s cake.

00:28:35.000 --> 00:28:39.999
I\'m sorry, Miss Violet, I won\'t say

00:28:40.000 --> 00:28:44.999
because it\'s cake anymore. What do you
feel when you eat something sweet?

00:28:45.000 --> 00:28:49.999
Sweets make me feel happy

00:28:50.000 --> 00:28:54.999
because glucose is an important nutrient for
brain function. I\'m not asking you for a reason,

00:28:55.000 --> 00:28:59.999
I want to know how you feel. Jonny is
not strong on emotion. It\'s very good.

00:29:00.000 --> 00:29:04.999
And how does that make you feel?
Strawberry 20 grams.

00:29:05.000 --> 00:29:09.999
In fact he doesn\'t have any.
Kiwi 14 grams, mango 10 grams,

00:29:10.000 --> 00:29:14.999
vitamin C content 5.4. But you know,
I guess I prefer it that way.

00:29:15.000 --> 00:29:19.999
If there\'s no emotion it\'s just
that much easier to switch him off.

00:29:20.000 --> 00:29:24.999
Jonny what do you feel when
you eat something sweet?

00:29:25.000 --> 00:29:29.999
Sweets make me feel happy,

00:29:30.000 --> 00:29:34.999
because glucose is an important…

00:29:35.000 --> 00:29:43.000
[music]

00:29:50.000 --> 00:29:54.999
As cities expand and become more complex,

00:29:55.000 --> 00:29:59.999
so do some of the problems facing
those who live and work in them.

00:30:00.000 --> 00:30:04.999
There are concerns about pollution
and crime even terrorism.

00:30:05.000 --> 00:30:09.999
[music]

00:30:10.000 --> 00:30:14.999
There are other less obvious threats.

00:30:15.000 --> 00:30:19.999
Poisonous gases, radiation and the
fear of some unseen health hazard.

00:30:20.000 --> 00:30:24.999
Demand is growing for sensors

00:30:25.000 --> 00:30:29.999
that don\'t just quietly observe but that can
actively monitor and detect in real time.

00:30:30.000 --> 00:30:38.000
[music]

00:30:40.000 --> 00:30:44.999
In Korea scientists are working on
a device that will revolutionize

00:30:45.000 --> 00:30:49.999
our ability to track both
merchandise and people.

00:30:50.000 --> 00:30:54.999
The radiofrequency identification or RFID

00:30:55.000 --> 00:30:59.999
is a tag containing product data
combined with a radiofrequency device.

00:31:00.000 --> 00:31:04.999
In theory it could be used by consumers.

00:31:05.000 --> 00:31:09.999
But in practice it\'s more likely to become an
electronic label tracking everything you see

00:31:10.000 --> 00:31:14.999
or buy in a store.

00:31:15.000 --> 00:31:19.999
RFIDs are relatively easy
and cheap to mass produce.

00:31:20.000 --> 00:31:24.999
Professor Kyu-Jin Cho uses a special
ink which has some unusual properties.

00:31:25.000 --> 00:31:29.999
The ink is infused with carbon nanotubes,

00:31:30.000 --> 00:31:34.999
a material which is also a semiconductor.
This permits the duplication of

00:31:35.000 --> 00:31:39.999
all RFID tag components,
transistors and antenna

00:31:40.000 --> 00:31:44.999
don\'t have to be assembled in a
production line, they\'re simply printed.

00:31:45.000 --> 00:31:49.999
[music]

00:31:50.000 --> 00:31:54.999
The potential savings would
allow for the cost to drop

00:31:55.000 --> 00:31:59.999
below one cent per sticker, a price that
professor Cho predicts will mean that

00:32:00.000 --> 00:32:04.999
RFID\'s will be found on every product.

00:32:05.000 --> 00:32:09.999
[music]

00:32:10.000 --> 00:32:14.999
The long arm of the law will also be
enhanced by other sensor driven technology

00:32:15.000 --> 00:32:19.999
that promises even more
sophisticated surveillance systems.

00:32:20.000 --> 00:32:28.000
[music]

00:32:30.000 --> 00:32:34.999
Dr. Genki Yoshikawa has developed

00:32:35.000 --> 00:32:39.999
a powerful sensor that can detect
potentially dangerous substances

00:32:40.000 --> 00:32:44.999
by using a unique and down
to earth inspiration.

00:32:45.000 --> 00:32:49.999
Every K9\'s nose has a
massive tiny nerve endings

00:32:50.000 --> 00:32:54.999
called receptors, each design to
bind with a specific chemical.

00:32:55.000 --> 00:32:59.999
The overall combination allows the
dog to figure out the big picture

00:33:00.000 --> 00:33:04.999
and to distinguish between
individual sense.

00:33:05.000 --> 00:33:09.999
Dr. Yoshikawa succeeded in recreating

00:33:10.000 --> 00:33:14.999
the mechanism artificially.

00:33:15.000 --> 00:33:19.999
He tested the sensor with meat

00:33:20.000 --> 00:33:24.999
something that human nose has difficulty
differentiating. But the sensor was able to pinpoint

00:33:25.000 --> 00:33:29.999
the shuttle differences precisely.
How does this perform

00:33:30.000 --> 00:33:34.999
in the nano world?

00:33:35.000 --> 00:33:39.999
[music]

00:33:40.000 --> 00:33:44.999
The air is full of molecules that emit various
odors, when the molecule touches a receptor

00:33:45.000 --> 00:33:49.999
it surface bends.

00:33:50.000 --> 00:33:54.999
The shift and stress is
only on a nanoscale,

00:33:55.000 --> 00:33:59.999
but the combination of molecules allows
the sensor to determine the smell.

00:34:00.000 --> 00:34:04.999
The research is still at an early stage

00:34:05.000 --> 00:34:09.999
with only eight sensors assembled.
According to Dr. Yoshikawa

00:34:10.000 --> 00:34:14.999
by building more sensors and preprogramming
them with various molecular patterns

00:34:15.000 --> 00:34:19.999
the system will be able to
detect any dangerous substances

00:34:20.000 --> 00:34:24.999
from drugs to dynamite.

00:34:25.000 --> 00:34:29.999
Right now if you wanted to
check how polluted the air is…

00:34:30.000 --> 00:34:34.999
how polluted the river is or how much
pollutant is in the drinking water

00:34:35.000 --> 00:34:39.999
we couldn\'t do it. I mean, it would be very
difficult to do on an individual level.

00:34:40.000 --> 00:34:44.999
But if we can attach this sensor

00:34:45.000 --> 00:34:49.999
to our mobile phones or cloths each
person will have the freedom to check

00:34:50.000 --> 00:34:54.999
what is going on in the
environment around him.

00:34:55.000 --> 00:34:59.999
The artificial nose could soon become as

00:35:00.000 --> 00:35:04.999
widely used as the surveillance
camera, a smaller hidden sentinel,

00:35:05.000 --> 00:35:09.999
an electronic guard dog.
Nanosensors can be distributed

00:35:10.000 --> 00:35:14.999
in the city and they can monitor
not only where there\'s a danger,

00:35:15.000 --> 00:35:19.999
but they can monitor how
that danger is for instance

00:35:20.000 --> 00:35:24.999
moving or propagating through the system.
And with that

00:35:25.000 --> 00:35:29.999
then people can take action immediately.
A society where

00:35:30.000 --> 00:35:34.999
unseen multifunctional sensors monitor our
every move may seem comforting to some

00:35:35.000 --> 00:35:39.999
but others are not so sure. Does the
constant intrusion in our lives

00:35:40.000 --> 00:35:44.999
outweigh the advantages? When does
surveillance becomes snooping?

00:35:45.000 --> 00:35:49.999
One is the ability

00:35:50.000 --> 00:35:54.999
to monitor people\'s behavior in a
more and more obtrusive manner,

00:35:55.000 --> 00:35:59.999
so you can collect data about their
genetics, you can… you can observe them

00:36:00.000 --> 00:36:04.999
wherever they are, nano RFID tags

00:36:05.000 --> 00:36:09.999
and how that information will be used by
corporations and governments or even you know

00:36:10.000 --> 00:36:14.999
terrorist groups that is a
major concern of people.

00:36:15.000 --> 00:36:19.999
Higher levels of surveillance
both unseen and interactive

00:36:20.000 --> 00:36:24.999
could dramatically alter day to
day life in our biggest cities.

00:36:25.000 --> 00:36:29.999
So what might life theoretically
be like, 30 years in the future?

00:36:30.000 --> 00:36:34.999
[music]

00:36:35.000 --> 00:36:39.999
The strangest thing happened
to me this morning.

00:36:40.000 --> 00:36:44.999
I was walking home when I saw
one of my neighbor\'s kid\'s toys

00:36:45.000 --> 00:36:49.999
out on the street, I picked it
up and took it to their place.

00:36:50.000 --> 00:36:54.999
[music]

00:36:55.000 --> 00:36:59.999
Then as I did

00:37:00.000 --> 00:37:04.999
I noticed the sensor must
have been tracking me.

00:37:05.000 --> 00:37:09.999
[music]

00:37:10.000 --> 00:37:14.999
Sometimes all this sensory data can be

00:37:15.000 --> 00:37:19.999
a little unnerving. I mean, I enjoy

00:37:20.000 --> 00:37:24.999
the share convenience of it. I can
work from home most of the time

00:37:25.000 --> 00:37:29.999
and shop and lately I can even
get an instant medical checkup.

00:37:30.000 --> 00:37:38.000
[music]

00:37:40.000 --> 00:37:44.999
It\'s all thanks to this new initiative

00:37:45.000 --> 00:37:49.999
from the national health directorate. We all
have nanocapsules embedded in our bodies.

00:37:50.000 --> 00:37:54.999
All you have to do is lie back
and the data is transmitted

00:37:55.000 --> 00:37:59.999
to the directorate. They\'ll analyze
it and if its anything serious

00:38:00.000 --> 00:38:04.999
they tell you what has to be done and when?

00:38:05.000 --> 00:38:09.999
Simple stuff like prescriptions
is sent to you in seconds.

00:38:10.000 --> 00:38:14.999
Please renew your social data card.

00:38:15.000 --> 00:38:19.999
You have ten days to comply.
This is a mandatory renew

00:38:20.000 --> 00:38:24.999
to provide the latest technological
benefits to each and every one of you.

00:38:25.000 --> 00:38:29.999
Thank you for your cooperation.

00:38:30.000 --> 00:38:34.999
But then, then it\'s the social data card.
It has all your personal data

00:38:35.000 --> 00:38:39.999
and is your official ID. You
can\'t go anywhere without it.

00:38:40.000 --> 00:38:44.999
ID regulations just get
tighter and tighter.

00:38:45.000 --> 00:38:49.999
At first ID segregation was only
for people with criminal records.

00:38:50.000 --> 00:38:54.999
But once the idea caught
on the urge to classify

00:38:55.000 --> 00:38:59.999
just went wild. It used
to be a bit of a game,

00:39:00.000 --> 00:39:04.999
like getting into clubs but
these days it\'s different.

00:39:05.000 --> 00:39:09.999
You do not have an account with us, please do
not enter our building unless it is necessary.

00:39:10.000 --> 00:39:14.999
Everything is codified. You\'re
either in or you\'re out.

00:39:15.000 --> 00:39:19.999
It\'s okay, I guess if
you\'re one of your lead

00:39:20.000 --> 00:39:24.999
but if not… This restaurant
is for members only.

00:39:25.000 --> 00:39:29.999
We do not have a table for you. Sometimes
I wonder whether I know enough that

00:39:30.000 --> 00:39:34.999
they know something I don\'t.
You look fantastic in this.

00:39:35.000 --> 00:39:39.999
Miss Violet Humphrey, did you
enjoy your last purchase with us?

00:39:40.000 --> 00:39:44.999
Miss Humphrey, our fall
winter collections are

00:39:45.000 --> 00:39:49.999
25% off especially for you Miss Humphrey,

00:39:50.000 --> 00:39:54.999
do not miss this great opportunity. Could
it be that they know everything about me?

00:39:55.000 --> 00:39:59.999
What I like and what I think?

00:40:00.000 --> 00:40:04.999
What I feel?

00:40:05.000 --> 00:40:13.000
[music]

00:40:20.000 --> 00:40:24.999
That they haven\'t imprinted everything that\'s
happened to me since the day I was born.

00:40:25.000 --> 00:40:29.999
[music]

00:40:30.000 --> 00:40:34.999
Walk slower your heart rate is increasing.

00:40:35.000 --> 00:40:39.999
Walk slower, your heart rate is increasing.

00:40:40.000 --> 00:40:44.999
[music]

00:40:45.000 --> 00:40:49.999
The future suggested by the dark side of
nanotechnology may never materialize,

00:40:50.000 --> 00:40:54.999
but how does society protect itself
from such a malign occurrence?

00:40:55.000 --> 00:40:59.999
What path should we take?

00:41:00.000 --> 00:41:04.999
[music]

00:41:05.000 --> 00:41:09.999
Governments around the world are
both intrigued and are nerved

00:41:10.000 --> 00:41:14.999
by the potential impact of this
new science. An attitude shared

00:41:15.000 --> 00:41:19.999
by Britain\'s Royal Society which published a
report with the Royal Academy of Engineering

00:41:20.000 --> 00:41:24.999
that expressed both confidence and caution.

00:41:25.000 --> 00:41:29.999
The society\'s past president is the
master of Trinity College, Cambridge,

00:41:30.000 --> 00:41:34.999
world renowned cosmologist and
astrophysicist Sir Martin Rees

00:41:35.000 --> 00:41:39.999
has nanotechnology moves from the lab to
big business how do you keep control?

00:41:40.000 --> 00:41:44.999
Whereas several years ago the rural society
initiated a study of nanotechnology.

00:41:45.000 --> 00:41:49.999
Uh… We thought it was very impregnate that

00:41:50.000 --> 00:41:54.999
the scientists should consider whether there
were any risks. And that they should do is

00:41:55.000 --> 00:41:59.999
at an early stage before the
commercial interest became engaged.

00:42:00.000 --> 00:42:04.999
The Royal Society report did
note the potential risk of

00:42:05.000 --> 00:42:09.999
free nanoparticles that might escape
into the atmosphere and impact health

00:42:10.000 --> 00:42:14.999
and recommend it tighter regulations.

00:42:15.000 --> 00:42:19.999
I think one should not worry
about any catastrophist

00:42:20.000 --> 00:42:24.999
from nanotechnology, but
there are obviously risks

00:42:25.000 --> 00:42:29.999
from any new technology just
as there are opportunities

00:42:30.000 --> 00:42:34.999
and the aim of scientist and their governments
should be to ensure that we can harness

00:42:35.000 --> 00:42:39.999
the great benefits for that this
technology will apply and avoid the risks.

00:42:40.000 --> 00:42:44.999
If nanotechnology does take
hold of the imagination

00:42:45.000 --> 00:42:49.999
of the public and of investors it
will become increasingly difficult

00:42:50.000 --> 00:42:54.999
if not impossible to direct.

00:42:55.000 --> 00:42:59.999
It promises to revolutionize medicine.
It could even play a key role

00:43:00.000 --> 00:43:04.999
in saving the environment. But will it?

00:43:05.000 --> 00:43:09.999
The nanotechnology as a key for the future
because it\'s not just one thing, you know,

00:43:10.000 --> 00:43:14.999
like electronics, it impacts
every single area life

00:43:15.000 --> 00:43:19.999
whether it be environment, energy,
medicine, communications. I believe that,

00:43:20.000 --> 00:43:24.999
you know, scientists have a
moral responsibility to explain

00:43:25.000 --> 00:43:29.999
what they do in the laboratory to… to
everyone. And to engage in a debate

00:43:30.000 --> 00:43:34.999
between you know society on every
reliable scientific and non scientific

00:43:35.000 --> 00:43:39.999
about this technology and
since it will change them.

00:43:40.000 --> 00:43:44.999
And like previous revolutions nano is
distinguished by its apparent absence

00:43:45.000 --> 00:43:49.999
and unseen world that is small in scale,

00:43:50.000 --> 00:43:55.000
but potentially big in impact.
A wondrous new world.