Teaching The Notion of Nanotechnology

[Steve]

Why is teaching the notion of nanotechnology (http://www.hardocp.com/news.html?news=MjMxMDIsLCxobmV3cywsLDE=) in the United States such a hard sell? The Washington post looks at a lot of the factors that contribute to nanotechnology being taught in schools in other countries but not so much in the United States.

Nanotechnology presents an especially difficult challenge in education. It is not a traditional discipline but rather a combination involving physics, chemistry, biology, mathematics, engineering and technology.

[Flexion]

I am a firm believer of the United States of America, being born and schooled in USA myself. However, I feel that many of our educators and our society itself places emphasis on things other than science and its possibilities.

Nanotechnologies represent a shift in the way compounds are created and used. Traditional physics, chemistry, mathematics, and engineering should be mastered prior to learning nanotechnology.

Current use of nanotechnology consists mostly of spraying nanomolecules (materials that are smaller than a nanometer) onto typical consumer goods and commercial devices.
If we do not embrace nanotechnology as Americans then we risk falling behind.

The ramifications of nanotechnology are significant in that molecules would be assembled like legos, rather than mixing component A and component B to net compound C. There would be such a reduction of wastes since typical thermodynamics are avoided.

It is hard for us OC'ers to grasp why the world wouldn't want to squeeze the most of everything that they can. But that is why we OC and much of the world doesn't.