When a child learns to build things, she becomes a physicist, learning the laws of gravity and design. In 1998, LEGO introduced Mindstorms, a kit of LEGOs with an on-board computer that can easily be programmed by any child. Using the toy, children can design and build a nearly infinite array of robots - from 700 basic parts.
Kids can even go online and share their designs, or copy the designs of others.
It's a robotic toy with networked intelligence. LEGO's bricks have become the defining example of a new approach to the physical world - our growing ability to manipulate individual atoms as though they were like a set of LEGO bricks. This new science, known as nanotechnology, promises an incredibly extension of human capabilities - but it comes with a few dangers as well. The links here will give you a good background in the science of nanotechnology, and can serve as a beginning of your own exploration in this newest field of research. On the left side of the page, you'll see links - paralleling the ideas as they're discussed in the text.