NanoTech + Art

Nanotechnology is an art-from that has presented a whole new area of our lives and goes beyond previously known methods of science. In this field, old scientific methodologies must be reinvented which in turn shifts the paradigm. The emersion of art and science is significant in this form of technology because not only does it impact every aspect of science and technology, but also has the potential to innovate scientific ideologies as a whole.

Physicist Richard Feynman envisioned this theoretical capability in the late 1950’s, believing that nanotechnology meant building things up from the bottom, with atomic precision. However, Norio Taniguchi is credited for coining the term “nanotechnology,” noting that “Nano-technology' mainly consists of the processing of separation, consolidation, and deformation of materials by one atom or one molecule.” Taniguchi laid out the foundation of nanotechnology for future physicists to further innovate and change scientific methodologies.

Nanotechnology explores the structure of atoms and their complex organization together

What I find interesting about nanotechnology is the specificity and precision of the field. In science, the term “Nano” refers to a billionth of a meter, which is a very small dimension. Nanotechnology works on a logarithmic scale using powers of ten; mathematics is extremely important in calculating nanometers. If even a just one minor miscalculation occurs, the entire outcome will be wrong. I feel like this is different from art because art does not necessitate a right or wrong answer. Art is open for interpretation and mistakes can be turned into something beautiful or completely different.

This shows specific mathematics used in nanotechnology

Artwork does not have a definitive equation to follow

In the early to mid 1980’s, two events occurred that helped nanotechnology become a more prominent scientific study. During this time, nanotechnology became less theoretical and more realistic. The first experimental development was a new form of carbon unknown to man. Before Smalley discovered buckminsterfullerene (C₆₀), carbon was either diamond or graphite. The second experiment was the ability to see individual atoms in real space. The scanning tunneling microscope and the buckeyball allowed for atoms to be manipulated and visualized for the first time. Traditional microscopes use lenses that magnify objects but are limited by the wavelength of light. However, the scanning microscope has a “finger” that is actually a needle and feels the atoms on the surface. Today, there are thousands of nanotechnology products on the market, most of which are nano particles.

This is the scanning tunneling microscope used to visualize individual atoms

Works Cited

What Is Nanotechnology?" Nano.gov. Nano.gov National Nanotechnology Initiative, n.d. Web. 24 May 2015. <http://www.nano.gov/nanotech-101/what/definition>.

Popov, Mikhail E. "Norio Taniguchi." Glossary of Nanotechnology and Related Terms. Rusnano, n.d. Web. 24 May 2015. <http%3A%2F%2Feng.thesaurus.rusnano.com%2Fwiki%2Farticle24441>.

Gimzewski, Jim, Dr. "Nanotech Jim Pt1." YouTube. YouTube, 21 May 2012. Web. 24 May 2015. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q7jM6-iqzzE#t=276>.

Gimzewski, Jim, Dr. "Nanotech Jim Pt2." YouTube. YouTube, 21 May 2012. Web. 24 May 2015. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HEp6t0v-v9c#t=196>.

Gimzewski, Jim, Dr. "Nanotech Jim Pt3." YouTube. YouTube, 21 May 2012. Web. 24 May 2015. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X0HCNiU_108#t=139>.

Feynman, Richard P. "Feynman's Talk." There's Plenty of Room at the Bottom. Feynman's Talk, n.d. Web. 24 May 2015. <http://www.zyvex.com/nanotech/feynman.html>.

"Harun Yahya." Nanotechnology. Harun Yahya, n.d. Web. 24 May 2015. <http://m.harunyahya.com/tr/Daily-Comments/46541/Nanotechnology>.