  Many introductory articles and books about nanotechnology have been written
to disseminate this apparently new technology, which investigate and
manipulates matter at dimension of a billionth of a meter. However, these texts
show in general a common feature: there is very little about the origins of
this multidisciplinary field. If anything is mentioned at all, a few dates,
facts and characters are reinforced, which under the scrutiny of a careful
historical digging do not sustain as really founding landmarks of the field.
Nevertheless, in spite of these flaws, such historical narratives bring up
important elements to understand and contextualize this human endeavor, as well
as the corresponding dissemination among the public: would nanotechnology be a
cultural imperative?
