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For over half a century, miniaturization has been the dominant force driving technological progress. While airplanes and automobiles have hardly changed, the ever-shrinking integrated circuit has taken us from the 10-pound adding machine to the 5-ounce Blackberry. The next 50 years promise even bigger change as everything from medical labs to satellites get shrunk to the size of postage stamps. In this talk, I will examine why small is so big, look at a few examples of shrinking technologies, and speculate how nano will change your life, for good and ill.

Paul McEuen is a world expert on the science and technology of nanostructures. He is a pioneer of single molecule devices, scanning probe microscopy of nanostructures and applications of nanoelectronics in chemistry and biology. His research group publishes their work frequently in Nature and Science. He was co-organizer of the 2007 Kavli Futures Symposium.

There will be a reception in Weniger 377 starting at 16:00.