The Next Big Thing

According to Oscar Berendsohn the next big thing will be extremely small things. He wants Newtown to play a central role in the technological community’s ever-expanding interest and investment in the ever-shrinking science of nanotechnology.

Earlier this summer, the retired engineer and Appleblossom Lane resident outlined for The Bee his idea to create an academic center conferring advanced degrees in the field of nanotechnology at Fairfield Hills. He observed, “This field is like computer science was 40 or 50 years ago.” He is probably right.

Last week, Florida Atlantic University in Louisiana announced that it had secured a $1 million research grant from the National Institutes for Health to explore the use of nanotechnology to deliver drugs directly to cancer cells. A conference of the American Chemical Society concluded last week in Washington, D.C., on another hot topic: “Cosmetic Nanotechnology: Polymers and Colloids in Personal Care.” Another conference that just concluded at Rice University generated a lot of excitement about the possibilities for developing more efficient energy alternatives through nanotechnology — and the excitement is increasing right along with the price of gas.

In the scientific circles, everyone’s talking about nanotechnology. So what is it?

Nanotechnology is the creation of materials, devices, and systems through the manipulation of individual atoms and molecules. The whole concept is mind boggling, but the brightest minds are fascinated and excited by the opportunities in this field. But as Mr Berendsohn correctly points out, there are few academic centers devoted solely to the education and research of nanotechnologists. Such a center at Fairfield Hills could draw scientists and visionaries from around the world along with a lot of grant money and venture capital.

This “small” idea is one of the best suggestions we have heard to date for potential nonmunicipal uses at Fairfield Hills. The suggestion has already drawn the interest of Newtown’s State Senator John McKinney, who has offered to seek support on the state level from those working to further develop Connecticut as a center for science and technology.

For it to be successful, however, this initiative needs to have unqualified support on the local level. We urge the Fairfield Hills Authority and its sponsors on the Board of Selectmen and Legislative Council to thoroughly review the feasibility of Mr Berendsohn’s proposal. It just may be that the littlest things will yield the biggest returns for Newtown.