Jesus calls his disciples to participate in his redemptive purposes to redeem humanity and heal the world. We are called to bring about justice, peace, and reconciliation throughout creation, reflecting the kingdom values that Christ embodied. Nanotechnology is going to be one of the prime technologies that help humans to do so.
Nanotechnology is the branch of science and engineering that involves the management and guidance of matter at the nanometer scale, typically between 1 and 100 nanometers (one nanometer is one billionth of a meter). This means that nanotechnology deals with materials and processes at the atomic and molecular levels. It is an emerging technology that, combined with advancements like artificial intelligence or genetic engineering, has the potential to change the world as we know it.
Current examples of nanotech come in the form of products like graphene, a one-atom-thick sheet of carbon atoms arranged in a hexagonal lattice. It is incredibly strong (200 times stronger than steel), lightweight, transparent, and an excellent conductor of heat and electricity. Graphene is currently being used to create supercapacitors for faster energy storage and release, flexible electronics, and next-generation batteries with much higher energy densities.
Nanotech is also being used to clean the environment. Nanoparticles are used in water purification to remove contaminants, heavy metals, and other toxins at a molecular level.
Nanoremediation is used to clean up oil spills, chemical pollutants, and toxic waste from soil and water. Nanocatalysts are used in air purification systems to break down harmful pollutants into harmless substances, improving air quality.
Notably, nanotechnology is also driving major advancements in solar energy. Perovskite solar cells, enhanced with nanomaterials, are becoming more efficient and cost-effective, with potential efficiencies exceeding those of traditional silicon-based solar panels. Nanostructured materials are also being used to improve energy storage and faster charging times for electric vehicles.
Additionally, Nanotechnology has already revolutionized the field of medicine, particularly in targeted drug delivery. Nanoparticles are used to deliver drugs directly to specific cells, such as cancer cells, minimizing side effects and increasing treatment efficiency. Liposomes and polymeric nanoparticles are now used in certain cancer therapies, allowing drugs to bypass healthy tissues and target only diseased cells. And, although it is still largely experimental, nanobots are also being developed to perform precise medical tasks, such as tissue repair or targeted drug delivery within the body. To say the least – if you haven’t investigated nanotechnology yet, it is worth your time to do so.
Prolific Innovators like Ray Kurzweil say that this is just the beginning of the nanotechnological revolution. Winner of the 1999 National Medal of Technology and Innovation, Google Futurist and Author of the Singularity is Nearer – Kurzweil has posited that, partnered with AI, nanotech will further revolutionize medicine, enhance cognitive intelligence in human, revolutionize manufacturing, help solve environmental and energy challenges and will help humanity to reach a technological Singularity.
Additionally, Kurzweil’s theory of the Law of Accelerating Returns suggests that technology improves at an exponential rate, leading to faster innovation and reduced costs as time progresses. He argues that as we develop better tools and technologies, these advancements fuel further, more rapid progress, allowing costs to fall while performance improves. This exponential growth applies across various sectors of technology, including computing, biotechnology, and nanotechnology.
Why this is important is that it means that nanotechnology will help Christ followers bring about Jesus’ redemptive purposes in the world. Future affordable nanotech has the potential to arrange atoms precisely to build objects or materials from the ground up, atom by atom. Such assemblers could use simple or abundant materials like carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen to construct complex and highly valuable materials or objects. In theory, molecular assemblers could create a wide range of materials, such as food, clothing, or medicine, from basic chemical building blocks, mimicking natural processes like how living organisms assemble proteins from amino acids.
As the tech is perfected and usage costs reduced – humans, with the help of AI, will become prolific in our ability to create using nanotechnology. This will allow for us to provide for humanity in what will seem like a technological fishes and loaves moment. Because of what we will be able to create from simple materials using nanotechnology, no person on Earth will ever lack, food clothing or medicine ever again. As such, every person’s basic material needs will be met, removing concerns of scarcity and bringing about justice, peace, and reconciliation in the world in the world on numerous fronts.
And the potential advantages go on… All of humanity’s energy needs may one day be met through nanotech-enhanced solar power. The Earth’s environment could be completely renewed and systemically cared for via countless nanobots helping humanity to steward creation and all the cosmos. Future advancements in nanotech could mean that humans will be able to heal any person of any ailment in what would seem today like a miraculous act.
Of course, as such technological advancements come to fruition it will change how humans and governments think about economies and society. It will change how we live, and work, and create. It will force us to more fully consider who we are and what we are called by God to do.
And that is the value of considering the future of nanotech today. While current advancements in nanotechnology are important, they don’t change the fact that Christians need to keep doing Christ’s redemptive work right now. Nanotech doesn’t immediately fix all our problems at once. But what it does, right now, is provide a glimpse of Christ’s hopeful future while giving us a holy technological goal to push towards.
