It might seem terrifying, but nanotechnology — the engineering of materials and devices at the molecular scale — will not only revolutionize the field of medicine, it will also change everything you ever thought would be possible about the future.



One person who is vouching for this tech is Frank Boehm, the author of 'Nanomedical Device and Systems Design: Challenges, Possibilities, Visions'. Boehm believes that with nanotechnology, humans will be able to have things like infrared and night vision, extended lifespans, and the ability to live and work in outer space and planetary colonies:
Nanomedicine could augment practically all human systems and senses. This could include advanced nanomedical retinal implants that may initiate or restore sight in clinically blind individuals, someday giving them 20/20 full color vision. Human vision might be expanded to allow the perception of infrared or ultraviolet wavelengths, integrated night vision, or perhaps to certain extent, even telescopic or microscopic visual capabilities through precise lens augmentation and manipulation.

... For example, the extension of the human lifespan could be facilitated through the removal of a substance called lipofuscin from certain types of non-dividing cells, including the brain, heart, liver, kidneys and eyes. Lipofuscin is a metabolic end product that accumulates primarily within lysosomes (the garbage disposal organelles within cells). It's thought that when lipofuscin accumulates to certain levels, it begins to negatively impact cell function, which eventually manifests in many age related conditions.
For more on the future of nanotechnology, be sure to read the full interview via io9