Week 8: Nanotech and Art

Nanotechnology is a fairly new science and “involves the control and manipulation of materials on an atomic scale (Massey University)”. It came about with the invention of the electron microscope in the 1930’s, which allowed scientist to observe extremely small things such as the structure and texture of crystals and other things that cannot be seen with the naked eye (Wikipedia)”. I became more interested in nanotechnology when Dr. Gimzewski said that it impacted much of our lives through food, energy, electronics, and agriculture.

Nanotechnology is important in our daily lives because it can lead to advancements in things such as medical therapies, imaging done in living organisms, and in the medical drug industry. Nanotech has become important in the fight against diseases like cancer. The earlier we can identify diseases in peoples bodies the more time doctors have to treat them which greatly increases the chance of survival.

Agriculture and food have also been influenced by nanotechnology in a positive way also. Nanotubes and nanocapsules have been created to be inserted into plants and foods and do things like make things taste better or remove pathogens from food to make the plant healthier. Nanoclays and films have been created to be put on produce and meats to prevent them from spoiling quickly.

The advances in the medical and agricultural worlds due to nanotech are amazing but they are not the only thing that nanotech is good for. I was curious about the more artistic side of nanotechnology which led me to look more into nano-art. Nano-art consists of nanolandscapes and nanosculptures. The extremely small size of sculptures that can be made using nanotech is incredible.

(Left picture: example of nanolandscape. Right picture: example of nanosculpture.)

Works Cited

Berger, Michael. "Blow-up: The Startling Landscapes of Nanotechnology." Blow-up: The Startling 

Landscapes of Nanotechnology. N.p., 29 Dec. 2006. Web. 24 May 2015.

<http://www.nanowerk.com/spotlight/spotid=1456.php>.

Berger, Michael. "Nanotechnology in Agriculture." Nanotechnology in Agriculture. N.p., 25 Aug. 

2014. Web. 24 May 2015. <http://www.nanowerk.com/spotlight/spotid=37064.php>.

Griffin, Andrew. "The Smallest Sculptures Ever Made: Nano-scale Creations Are Dwarfed by Even a 

Human Hair." The Independent. Independent Digital News and Media, 17 Nov. 2014. Web. 24 May 

2015.

"NanoArt." NanoArt. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 May 2015. <http://nanoart.org/index.php>.

"Nanoart." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 5 June 2014. Web. 24 May 2015.

<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nanoart>.

"Researchers Take First Prize for Nano-art." Massey University. N.p., 13 Sept. 2010. Web. 24 May 

2015. <http%3A%2F%2Fwww.massey.ac.nz%2Fmassey%2Fabout-

massey%2Fnews%2Farticle.cfm%3Fmnarticle%3Dresearchers-take-first-prize-for-nano-art-13-09-

2010>.

"Why Nanotechnology Is Important." CISN -. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 May 2015. 

<http://cisncancer.org/research/new_treatments/nanotechnology/importance.html>.