Nanotechnology — Think really small

"It's going to make a lot of people really uneasy. I think there will be a tendency for corporations to try to slow down and prepare for the transition. And I'm not saying that's necessarily a bad thing. I think that's something for society to figure out.

"Some people are going to be laid off, but at the same time there will be better treatments available. There will be clean, sustainable energy, so should we still be relying on coal and nuclear? It's a fascinating area. . . . The technology will exist, but how it gets into society is going to be where the real battle takes place."

Even something as basic as longer life expectancy will have broad-ranging consequences, he said.

"I know there are a lot of people in the room right now, whenever I'm talking about life expectancy of over 100 or even 120, most people say, 'Well, I don't want to live that long.' But in the future, living to 120 isn't going to be like living to 120 today. Your bones are going to be stronger. Your mental facilities are going to be more acute. You may feel like you're only 70," Uldrich said.

"Everything from Medicare, to Social Security, to education, to retirement — all of those will have to be relooked at. There are huge, complicated issues."

Panelists discussing Utah's opportunities and obstacles regarding nanotechnology repeatedly informed college students in the audience that they will be the ones needing to think big about nanotechnology.

"We've got some real serious problems to solve, and it's going to take some major breakthroughs. . . . We need to get you excited about this, because if we don't, our future is going to be grim and so is yours," said Robert Summers, professor of electronic engineering technology at Weber State University.

"We need to dream. Anything you can think of is within the realm of possibility. Half the creative effort is coming up with the thought."

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