I'm reading the book: The Next Big Thing is Small about nanotechnology. Very interesting ideas about changing substances at the molecular level. All materials are up for grabs in the future. The author points out in about 2005 we will start seeing product impact of this revolutionary science. A nanometer is one billionth of a meter. For example the dot on the "i" in this sentance is approximately one million nanometers. If that doesn't work 1 nanometer is to an inch what one inch is to approximately 16,000 miles.