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Enter the world of the really, really small and the very, very precise. Nanotechnology is the group of emerging technologies in which matter is measured on the nanometer scale - down to individual atoms in size - and manipulated to produce unique materials and products.

How small is 1 nanometer?

In the nano world, the width of a human hair is huge - about 80,000 nanometers! Now imagine working with parts just a few nanometers in size, visible only with the most powerful of electron, atomic, or scanning tunneling microscopes.

Today, much of the work in nanotechnology involves basic research and development (R&D) sponsored and supported by corporate, university, and federal collaborations. Nanotechnology is just beginning to also have practical, commercial applications in such diverse fields as health care, information technology, manufacturing, and national defense.

Although nanotechnology deals with the very small, its anticipated impact on job growth and career opportunities in the United States is expected to be very large. Within the next 10 years, the National Science Foundation (NSF) estimates that the worldwide need for nanotechnology workers will rise from the current 20,000 to two million!

Work in the field of nanotechnology requires specialized education and training, but the job and career rewards for those who prepare themselves should be significant.

(Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics; U.S. National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI); U.S. National Science Foundation; Foresight Nanotech Institute.)

Continue reading some reasons to focus on Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.