Part 4. You will hear part of a lecture on nanotechnology and its applications.
First,
you have some time to look at questions 31 to 40.
Now, listen carefully and answer questions 31 to 40.
Today's lecture is the first of a series of lectures on nanotechnology.
Nanotechnology
sometimes shortened to nanotech refers to the manipulation of matter on an atomic
and
molecular level. It's a science, engineering and technology conducted at the
nanoscale,
which is about 1 to 100 nanometers. It is the study and application of extremely
small
things and can be used across all the other science fields. Just how small is that?
A
nanometer is one billionth of a meter. The idea of nanoscale research first started
from a physicist called Richard Feynman in 1959. He envisaged a process in which
scientists
would be able to manipulate and control individual atoms and molecules. In fact, it
wasn't until
1981 with the invention of a special kind of microscope that modern nanotechnology
truly
began. Even though nanotechnology has created many new materials and devices with a
vast
range of applications, there is always concern over these unnatural products. Many
people
are worried that they may pose a threat to the environment, health and safety, also
known
as EHS. In order to better understand and evaluate the potential harm, risk
assessment
has been introduced. There are also ongoing international collaborations on nano
EHS research
and related policy issues. Despite the concern, nanotechnology has benefited
society in unexpected
ways. In the food processing industry, nanotechnology is leveraged against iron
deficiency, which
triggers anemia. For example, by reducing the particle size in potatoes, this new
technology
improves the bioavailability of this nutritional ingredient without the tendency to
cause color
and odor changes. In terms of packaging, nano materials are more economical and are
used
in all sorts of products, chocolate in particular. Nanotechnology can also enhance
the flavour
of food. On a domestic scale, we expect more smart furniture, which is made of
shape memory
alloys to be manufactured. But nanotechnology has much wider application
than this and could also help develop sustainable agriculture. It offers great
potential to
strengthen the effect of fertilisers, thereby minimising the environmental impact
and boosting
the productivity of plants in the soil. In the area of medicine, bioengineers have
developed
simple and inexpensive nano-scale delivery vehicles. Conductors like carbon
nanotubes
have been invented with varying structures. Such nanotubes have become increasingly
attractive
to researchers because of their ability to efficiently deliver drugs into veins.
This
means that higher doses of drugs loaded on them can be transported from the
administration
sites to the effects-related sites, such as cancer focuses, thus decreasing toxic
side
effects while increasing the treatment effects. The research team has also
developed a widely
accepted material that can be used to decode different surfaces, including wood,
plastic
and glass. It is mainly comprised of silver. Such nanoparticles can eventually kill
some
microbes due to the antiseptic properties. The whole process is simple, easy to
apply,
and more importantly, harmless to the environment. Surprisingly, nanotechnology has
major implications
for our health as well. By changing the metabolic rate through a particular type of
protein, a beast patients are able to burn calories faster, even under a high-
calorie
diet. Therefore, treatment programs are provided for patients to lose weight by
disposing of
excess fat in a relatively safer manner. The finding may help explain why
overweight people
struggle to lose weight. Their stored fat is actively fighting against their
efforts
to burn it off at the molecular level. Further research is mainly focused on the
clinical
and commercial developments of therapies for obesity, diabetes and other associated
conditions
such as heart disease. In terms of cosmetics, the applications of nanotechnology
and nanomaterials
can be found in many products. There are two main uses for nanotechnology in
cosmetics.
The first one is that nanoparticles are commonly used as UV filters in anti-aging
sun care products to avoid skin damage caused by the sun. In addition,
nanotechnology has
played an important role in delivering active ingredients to the skin. The
mechanism proves
to improve the bioavailability of actives and enhance skin hydration. The wide
variety
of nanotechnology applications leave no doubt that this field will only continue to
get
more exciting and I look forward to seeing these developments further branch out.
