Nanomachines are largely in the research-and-development phase, but already governments and medical bodies have been mulling over the future uses of tiny little robots that could be used for all manner of things (including putting in place laws to make sure nobody uses microscopic androids for any nasty business). 2014 was the year they actually found a proper use, though. Nanomedicine is a concept that's been around for a while and all, in both actual scientific research and Red Dwarf. It was only this year that they became a real, tangible well, sort of reality, however, as researchers developed tiny, self-powered, swimming robots that could be used by doctors to explore your body from the inside. If anything, they've made the Fantastic Voyage a reality. Except instead of Raquel Welch and Donald Pleasance flying down your gullet, it'll be a nanobot swimming through your eyeballs, able to use smart technology to seek out, diagnose and maybe even repair problems in your body. Better than the evolved cats things becoming true.
Tom Baker is the Comics Editor at WhatCulture! He's heard all the Doctor Who jokes, but not many about Randall and Hopkirk. He also blogs at http://communibearsilostate.wordpress.com/
