The World's Smallest Robots: Rise of the Nanomachines

This week Reactions takes a look at some byte-size science. Nanomachines have some very tiny chemistry at play with some big results. Nanomachines – including nano-sized motors, rockets and even cars – are many orders of magnitude smaller than a human cell, but they have huge promise. In the future, they could deliver drugs anywhere in the body, clean up oil spills and might even be used as artificial muscle cells.

Special thanks to the Camille and Henry Dreyfus Special Grant Program in the Chemical Sciences for funding this episode.

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Producer:
Elaine Seward
Sean Parsons

Writer:
Sophia Cai

Executive Producer:
Adam Dylewski

Scientific consultants:
Rigoberto Advincula, Ph.D.
Darcy Gentleman, Ph.D.
Sophia Cai

Music:
Strut Funk by Dougie Wood

References/video sources:

[orangefish]

Name Brand: They can bend or twist in response to a stimulus

Great Value: They harden in response to physical trauma

[sen.stevenarmstrong]

Nanomachines, Son! they harden in response to physical trauma!

[sheevpalpatine]

Ironman: "It's nanotech, you like it?"

Senator Armstrong: "Nanomachines, son."

[george]

Could they harden response to physical trauma ?

[AlfonsoNigeria]

Nanomachines hardening to physical trauma would be cool, but would they also give me a talent for volcanic eruptions?

[bruhdepartment]

Nanomachines Son!
They harden in response to physical trauma.
You can't hurt me Jack!

[BlueAsterismSolstice]

Armstrong: "Nanomachines, son."

Also, best robot is Nine Ball from Armored Core

[Mr.Sniffles]

So Armstrongs Nanomachines are switch based nanobots because they harden in response to physical trauma.

[LoganNWO]

Do they harden in response to physical trauma

[worsdandeath]

They harden in response to physical trauma

[anthonyvela]

so, it's true METAL GEAR IS HAPPENING

[jamesmapper]

The comments section:
0.02%: Me
0.04%: "This was pretty interesting"
0.04%: Suggestions
99.9%: *NANOMACHINES, SON! THEY HARDEN IN RESPONSE TO PHYSICAL TRAUMA!*

[amandag.]

Next you'll say: "Nanomachines, son"

[BackwardSabotage]

The nanomachines inside their bodies enhance and regulate their abilities. Genetic control, information control, emotion control, battlefield control…everything is monitored and kept under control.

[hippocrates]

*_extremely scary... just imagine the harm that could to be done by such technology in the wrong hands_*

[rorywhitaker]

Do they harden in response to physical trauma?

[admiralcat]

Great! I wonder if they can harden in response to physical trauma. And could make America great again!

[Ezullof]

5 years ago I've read in a scientific article that today we would use nanomachines to make diagnostics and to cure several diseases. Seems like it's a lot harder that we thought. In the same article the "grey goo" was mentionned, so I'll say that it's my favourite robot (also called Neumann machines).

[Antxniioo]

But do they harden in response to physical trauma?

[User-klge]

It's all fun and games until a politician with nanomachines inside his body fights white haired man with a sword