For over half a century, the ever-shrinking integrated circuit has been the dominant driver of technological progress. The next fifty years promise even bigger changes as miniaturization and nanotechnology invade other areas of our lives, from health care to weaponry.
Paul McEuen, Cornell's Goldwin Smith Professor of Physics, examines why small is so big and speculates how nano will change your life, both for good and for ill. He also takes a detour into the world of fiction and discusses how a full-time scientist ends up moonlighting as a thriller writer.