What is the impact of nanotechnology on society?

Nanotechnology is not a product like a microchip or an automobile. It is a process that harnesses the unique properties of materials at the 1-100 nanometer scale to develop new products. Nanotechnology has the potential to profoundly impact our lives in a similar fashion as the implementation of the moving assembly line by Henry Ford in 1908. It was Ford's streamlined manufacturing process that dramatically lowered the price of production and made automobiles affordable for most Americans. These manufacturing processes were implemented across the country and helped to fuel the industrial revolution. Many feel that nanotechnology will have an impact of this magnitude.