Document Information
The Potential of Nanotechnology for Molecular Manufacturing
Nanotechnologies are tools that measure and manipulate phenomena and objects at the nanoscale. Molecular manufacturing is the willful use of these two activities to create new objects or phenomena. The question of whether it is possible to achieve a stage in the foreseeable future when molecular manufacturing using nanotechnologies might be viable, and if so how to develop the field, is a point of contention in both scientific and policy circles. A framework for understanding the scope of this topic — possible benefits, development risks, and policy options — is presented, but it is not the intention of the authors to provide a definitive road map for future scientific and technological development; nor is it believed by the authors that such a detailed analysis would at present yield a fully credible road map given the immature nature of the field. Rather, it is the contention of this report that though important breakthroughs have been realized, much significant basic and applied research remains to be undertaken to realistically assess the far-term viability of many of the emerging concepts. However, a careful and objective technology feasibility assessment could help stimulate near-term interim achievements of great merit while preventing technological surprises from foreign players.
Support RAND Research — Buy This Product!
Paperback Cover Price: $23.00
Discounted Web Price: $20.70
Pages: 62
ISBN/EAN: 0-8330-2287-3
Links to online versions of this document are available below.
Free, downloadable PDF file(s) are available below.
RAND makes an electronic version of this document available for free as a public service. If you find this information valuable, please consider purchasing a paper copy of the full document to help support RAND research.
Use Adobe Acrobat Reader version 7.0 or higher for the best experience.
Contents
Chapter One:
Introduction
Chapter Two:
Trends and Goals
Chapter Three:
Developing Incremental Checkpoints
Chapter Four:
National and International Research Efforts
Chapter Five:
Conclusions and Recommendation
Appendix:
Research Centers in Nanotechnology and Related Areas by Nation
Bibliography
This research in the public interest was supported by RAND, using discretionary funds made possible by the generosity of RAND's donors and the fees earned on client-funded research.
The monograph/report was a product of the RAND Corporation from 1993 to 2003. RAND monograph/reports presented major research findings that addressed the challenges facing the public and private sectors. They included executive summaries, technical documentation, and synthesis pieces.
This research in the public interest was supported by RAND, using discretionary funds made possible by the generosity of RAND's donors, the fees earned on client-funded research, and independent research and development (IR&D) funds provided by the Department of Defense.
Permission is given to duplicate this electronic document for personal use only, as long as it is unaltered and complete. Copies may not be duplicated for commercial purposes. Unauthorized posting of RAND PDFs to a non-RAND Web site is prohibited. RAND PDFs are protected under copyright law. For information on reprint and linking permissions, please visit the RAND Permissions page.
The RAND Corporation is a nonprofit research organization providing objective analysis and effective solutions that address the challenges facing the public and private sectors around the world. RAND's publications do not necessarily reflect the opinions of its research clients and sponsors.
Top
RAND® is a registered trademark. Copyright © 1994-2008 RAND Corporation. 