Nanotechnology is the name given to the practice of engineering structures and devices atom by atom.
Even our most exact chemical processes rely on controlling the conditions and mixtures so that the random collisions of huge numbers of atoms will favor the intended outcome. These processes often resist the precision that would optimize them. Drexler examines several areas of current technology and extrapolates them to their logical limits. Smaller, more complex and faster computers will lead to more sophisticated simulation and design programs. Advances in biotechnology will bring us to greater understanding of the existing molecular machinery of life, and the ability to fashion custom protein machines.