ABSTRACT
Wethoughtitwouldbeappropriatetoclosebypresentingassessments ofthepresentandlikelyfuturetechnologicalimpactofnanomaterialsand nanotechnology.Thecontributorsofthispartwerechosensothatnearlyall areaswouldbecoveredbypeoplewhohadfamiliaritywiththoseareas.In somefields,suchasusingnanomaterialsascatalysts,thereisnodoubtthat nanomaterialsarealreadyveryimportant,whereasotherareasareinamuch earlierstageofdevelopment.Nevertheless,somediscoverieshavebeenputto useveryquickly.Itisimpressivethateventhoughgiantmagnetoresistancewas onlydiscoveredinmultilayerfilmsin1988,IBMhasalreadymadeprototype readheadswhichusethisphenomenon[1] .
