What should the average person know about science? Because science is so central to life in the 21st century, science educators and other leaders of the scientific community believe that it is essential that everyone understand the basic concepts of the most vital and far-reaching disciplines. "Nanotechnology 101" does exactly that. This accessible volume provides readers, whether students new to the field or just interested members of the public, with the essential ideas of the new science of nanotechnology - the technology of very small things - using a minimum of jargon and mathematics. Concepts are introduced in a progressive order so that more complicated ideas build on simpler ones, and each is discussed in small, bite-sized segments so that it can be more easily understood.The book enables readers to understand the following basic concepts underlying the new and exciting field of nanotechnology: the basic sciences of nanotechnology; the nanotechnology toolbox and nanofabrication; nanomaterials: carbon nanotubes, nanocrystals, and quantum dots; applications in healthcare and business; and ongoing nanotechnology projects in government and schools. With a bibliography, sidebars, and interviews with leading figures in the field, "Nanotechnology 101" provides the perfect starting point for anyone wishing to understand this burgeoning science.