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Week 8 : NanoTech + Art

Week 8 : NanoTech + Art

What is nanotechnology? The word nano is Greek for “dwarf” and it is one billionth of a meter. The concept of nanotechnology is first introduced in “There is Plenty of Room at the bottom” by the Nobel Prize-winning physicist Richard Feynman in 1959. However, it is until 1981 when the scanning tunneling microscope is invented for people to be able to analyze the atomic level and marked the paradigm shift. As Professor Victoria Vesna explained, "This new science is about a shift in our perception of reality from a purely visual culture to one based on sensing and connectivity”, the scanning tunneling microscope utilizes the sensation of atoms and then creates a visual image of the surface.

Video: Nanotechnology for targeted cancer therapy

With the benefit of this emerging technology, many new products such as water and dust resistant coatings on commercial products are introduced on the market. Some people are afraid that the new technology would have side effects and pollute the environment. While the side effects are unproven yet, the benefits are already proven to exist. Nanotechnology is a great breakthrough for medical fields. Taking advantage of the tiny size of nano particles, they can go with the flow of blood stream to the cancer cells. Scientist are using bee poison together with nano particles to create a cure for cancer. The detail can be seen in the above video.
NanoMoth by Ursula Freer
Not only the scientists but also the artists are taking part of the new development of nanotechnology. For example, UCLA team of nanoscience, media arts, and humanities experts presented the ‘NANO’ exhibition at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art in 2004 for the public to gain experience to nano-scale structures by engaging in art-making activities. Moreover, some artists are now using the images from the scanning tunneling microscope to create their art work. For instance, the artist Ursula Freer created a picture call ‘NanoMoth’ because he saw a pattern of a moth in the texture of organic background. There are also nanosculptures created by artists which can be seen only through scanning electron microscope such as nannosculptures by Cris Orfescu which is created by hydrolyzation of a tiny drop of a titanium organometallic compound and by coating the structure with gold. I believe that nanotechnology is truly a paradigm shift for both scientists and artists in the future. 
Nanosculpture by Cris Orfescu
References:

Lovgren, Stefan. " Can Art Make Nanotechnology Easier to Understand?" National Geographic News. N.p., 23 Dec. 2003. Web. 27 May 2017.
http://nano.arts.ucla.edu/mandala/about.php
FGRGAnimation. YouTube. University of Waterloo, 15 Jan. 2010. Web. 28 May 2017. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RBjWwlnq3cA
The New York Times. Is NanoArt the New Photography?, 17 Jan. 2008. Web. 28 May 2017. http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2008/01/17/technology/20080117_NANOART_SLIDESHOW_2.html
Gimzewski , Jim, and Victoria Vesna. "The Nanomeme Syndrome: Blurring of fact & fiction in the construction of a new science." N.p., n.d. Web. http://vv.arts.ucla.edu/publications/publications/02-03/JV_nano/JV_nano_artF5VG.htm.

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