Nanotechnology is the science of manipulating matter on the atomic and molecular level.
N anotechnology is beginning to gain the respect of scientists who only a few years ago chuckled at it as mere science fiction. Fitting the entire content of the Library of Congress on a computer chip the size of a sugar cube or sending a microscopic robotic submarine through the human body to attack cancer cells are oft-cited examples of what nanotechnology could theoretically lead to. Some view the NNI as America's counter to Japan's lead in publicly funded nanotech research. The 10-year research program was funded at a total of Y25 billion with a final evaluation due in fiscal 2001. The Japanese government plans to earmark over Y50 billion in the fiscal 2001 budget for nanotech research.