Week 8: Nanotechnology and Art
Katherine McNamara
Nanotechnology and Art
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| Inside a Diamond |
Nanotechnology is an intricate form of science that creates and investigates objects on an extra miniature scale (nanometers). Everyday products sunscreen, superglue, car paint, and computers all use nanotechnology. It is insane how much detail is required to use nanotechnology because the scale of atoms and objects is so small. Our lectures this week helped me grow more appreciation for all art created through nanotechnology. I enjoyed Dr. Gimzewski’s explanation of the makeup of diamonds and other rocks. It was cool to see the inside structure of objects that I see regularly. Additionally, diamonds hold great prestige in our society which made the comparison of their structure to other rocks and objects interesting. The inside structure of diamonds appeared relatively similar to other materials besides being more compact. It makes me wonder why diamonds are considered the most beautiful as opposed to granite marble or even copper (possibly the transparency and shininess).
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| Nanotech Art |
One of the only times I heard about nanotechnology prior to this week’s lectures was from the fictional Marvel universe. Tony Stark (or Iron Man) talks about the construction of his suit and other high-tech gear being a result of nanotechnology. While he doesn’t explain the exact process of production his mention of nanotechnology is significant. I was immediately curious about this technology and wondered if nanotech could bring this suit to reality; The mention of nanotechnology in such a mainstream movie helped people who were unfamiliar with it grow interested. Additionally, this innovative and cool superhuman suit was unlocked through nanotechnology and some scientists are working with nanotechnology to bring Tony Stark’s work to fruition. Some engineering and nanotechnology students have invested their time in creating suits similar to Iron Man's because they liked the movie (not because they are interested in a weaponized outfit). I think Marvel's portrayal of nanotech helped many people understand the potential creations we will see in the future.
| Iron Man's Nanotech Suit |
References
Gimzewski, Jim, and Victoria Vesna. “Nanotech for Artists Part 1.” May 22, 2024. UCLA, Lecture
Gimzewski, Jim, and Victoria Vesna. “Nanotech for Artists Part 2.” May 22, 2024. UCLA, Lecture
Gimzewski, Jim, and Victoria Vesna. “The nanoneme syndrome: Blurring of fact and fiction in the construction of a new science.” Technoetic Arts, vol. 1, no. 1, 1 Mar. 2003, pp. 7–24, https://doi.org/10.1386/tear.1.1.7/0.
“Making Stuff.” PBS, Public Broadcasting Service, www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/series/making-stuff/#making-stuff-smaller. Accessed 22 May 2024.
Rothemund, Paul. “DNA Folding, in Detail.” Paul Rothemund: DNA Folding, in Detail | TED Talk, www.ted.com/talks/paul_rothemund_dna_folding_in_detail?language=en. Accessed 22 May 2024.
Images
Art-Nanotech. PBS, https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/tech/art-nanotech.html.
Iron Man Infinity War NanoTech Suit. Quora, https://www.quora.com/How-does-Iron-Mans-nanotech-suit-in-Infinity-War-work.
Mack, Eric. Diamond Inside a Diamond. Forbes, https://www.forbes.com/sites/ericmack/2019/10/04/see-the-first-ever-matryoshka-diamond-inside-another-diamond/?sh=6a43f7ad3647.
Hi Katherine! I completely agree with you about how interesting it was this week to reflect on the fact that nanoparticles– which although so tiny and complex, are hard to image– exist in the everyday products we use like makeup, cleaning supplies, and even food. To add to what you were saying about Tony Stark’s emphasis on his utilization of nanotechnology in his suits, the lectures this week definitely gave me a better understanding of how there are really complex functions that can be accomplished and designed using nanotechnology, which he used to create the Iron Man suit in the films. This level of nanotechnology advancement reminds me of the interesting note Dr. Gimzewski added during his lectures regarding the self-organized structures of nanoparticles. That is, we ourselves are also self-organized structures, and hypothetically if we can create a self-organizing structure grand enough, we might be able to replicate ourselves in robots— which is both fascinating and a bit scary to consider.
ReplyDeleteHi Katherine,
ReplyDeleteI agree, really thinking about nanoscience is pretty mindblowing. I agree with you at the end, Marvel also helped me learn more about nanotechnology. While not an expert at all, it was cool to have some kind of background knowledge towards nanotechnology because of marvel geniuses like Tony Stark who literally use nanotech as their superpowers. It was really cool to think about and I agree, this science will help others understand the potential future inventions and creations have.