In the increasingly near future, the medical applications of nanotechnology are going to revolutionize the practice of medicine and the quality of life for those who can afford the treatments. The latest evidence supporting this all but certainty comes from an ABC article entitled, "Tiny particles target hearing loss," which reports on research being conducted at the University of Melbourne. The team is investigating the possibility of using engineered nanoscale particles to deliver minute amounts of medicine to the structures of the inner ear, which will help them ward off deterioration that leads to hearing loss. The technology they are developing will have many other applications, so much so that Professor Frank Caruso, head of the team, states, "I think the area of engineering materials at the nanoscale offers enormous promise for healthcare medicine into the future." (Dr. Caruso is head of the Nanostructured Interfaces and Materials Science Group at Melbourne University).
The bottom line is that medical applications of nanotechnology offers the possibility of greatly extended life spans within a few decades, at most. Lots of people laugh at the idea and dismiss it out of hand, but the possibility is very real and growing more so by the year. Laugh, if you like. Our grandchildren will be faced with choices and issues that boggle the mind. One prays them the spiritual maturity to make those decisions wisely. Amen.
