Drexler, Eric

Father of the term 'nanotechnology'. In his famous book Engines of Creation, Drexler described what would become a revolution in manufacturing technology. Instead of building objects by shaping and machining large pieces of materials, Drexler suggested that structures could be made 'from the bottom up' — by putting their constituent atoms together in precisely the right pattern.Drexler's book described the possibilities but also the risks (see 'Grey goo') of nanotechnology. Engines of Creation is available online in html and pdf format.