National Chemistry Week

Not only is this New Hampshire History Week, it is also National Chemistry Week! And unlike NH History Week, which has only been celebrated for the past few years, National Chemistry Week has been celebrated for 25! Who woulda thunk it?

This year's celebration centers around nanotechnology.

nan·o·tech·nol·o·gy
noun
a technology executed on the scale of less than 100 nanometers, the goal of which is to control individual atoms and molecules, especially to create computer chips and other microscopic devices.
Definition courtesy Dictionary.com

Nanotechnology is the "new thing" in science, and as such, has spawned a sub-genre of speculative fiction called "nanotechnology fiction." Here are a few examples:

Grant, Michael. BZRK. [YA GRA] In the near future, the conjoined Armstrong twins, under the guise of the Armstrong Fancy Gifts Corporation, plot to create their own version of utopia using nanobots, while a guerilla group known as BZRK develops a DNA-based biot that can stop bots, but at risk of the host's brain.

Koontz, Dean R. Dean Koontz Frankenstein, Book Four: Lost Souls. [F KOO] Victor Leben, once Frankenstein, has not only seen the future--he's ready to populate it. Using stem cells, "organic" silicon circuitry, and nanotechnology, he will engender a race of superhumans--the perfect melding of flesh and machine. With a powerful, enigmatic backer eager to see his dream come to fruition and a secret location where the enemies of progress can't find him, Victor is certain that this time, nothing and no one can stop him. It is up to five people to prove him wrong.

Ludlum, Robert. Robert Ludlum's the Lazarus Vendetta. [F LUD] Lt. Col. Jon Smith, activated in the wake of a deadly attack on a nano-technology research facility, sets out to learn the truth about the leader of the eco-conscious, anti-technology Lazarus Movement, and uncovers a plot that could change the very nature of the world.