In the 1966 hit movie “Fantastic Voyage,” starring Raquel Welch, a team of agents is shrunk down to microscopic size in order to save a scientist from a deadly blood clot. Well, in the category of “Yesterday’s science fiction is today’s science fact,” a scientist has now created a molecular device that is only 17 molecules—or just two-billionths of a meter long—and can be controlled by external forces.
In theory this means that it is now within the realm of possibility that nanoscale devices will be able to stream through our bodies in the not-so-distant future clearing our clogged arteries and killing cancer cells before they can grow into life-threatening tumors.
The only negative is that the future nanobots aren’t expected to look nearly as good as Raquel Welch.
Jack Uldrich is a writer, futurist, public speaker and host of jumpthecurve.net. He is the author of seven books, including Jump the Curve and The Next Big Thing is Really Small: How Nanotechnology Will Change the Future of Your Business. He is also a frequent speaker on future technology and future trends, nanotechnology, innovation, change management and executive leadership to a variety of businesses, industries and non-profit organizations and trade associations.
