Nanotechnology is
defined as the technology that is studied on an atomic and molecular level.
With nanotechnology researchers are examining the tiniest forms of existence to
have a better understanding of the bigger picture. For example, companies in China
have tried to recreate the liver’s efficient manufacturing process but quickly abandoned
the project when realizing how many more factories would be needed. Showing
that much more goes on at a molecular level.
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| http://img.webmd.com/dtmcms/live/webmd/consumer_assets/site_images/articles /image_article_collections/anatomy_pages/liver_illustration.jpg |
In the third
culture atoms can be manipulated and recorded to create a work of art. In the
readings this week from art.base artists
created the Nanomandala. The Nanomandala is inspired by the Hindu and
Buddhist culture where a mandala is their representation of the universe. The nanomandala is video projected on sand
and when visitors touch the sand the mandala transforms into the molecular structure
of a grain of sand via a scanning electron microscope (Art.Base) .
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| https://art.base.co/event/2104-art-in-the-age-of-nanotechnology |
Another example
of nanotechnology and art is when IBM made a huge breakthrough in accessing
huge amounts of data storage. In 2012, they created the world’s smallest
magnetic memory bit which could potentially give our devices unlimited amounts
of data storage. Resulting in the manipulation of 12 atoms, IBM researchers created the short film “A
Boy and His Atom”. It is a simple little film where a boy shaped out of atoms interacts
with a single atom. They made the movie by moving the atoms every frame to make
a stop-motion film. It has been verified by the Guinness Book of World Records
as the “The World’s Smallest Stop-Motion Film”.
In conclusion,
nanotechnology is really mind blowing when you discover how much atoms and
molecules effect the world. They can create life, photosynthesis, or they can destroy
it, atomic bomb. We owe a lot of our evolving world to the understanding of
these simple life forms and hopefully we will continue too.
Citations:
Vesna,
Victoria. "Nano Mandala." YouTube.
26 Sept. 2008. Web. 22 May 2016.
"A Boy And His Atom: The World's Smallest Movie." IBM
Research. International Business Machines, 30 Apr. 2013. Web. 22 May 2016.
"What Is Nanotechnology?" Center for
Responsible Nanotechnology. 2008. Web. 22 May 2016.
Picture of the Liver. 2014. WebMD. WebMD.
Web. 22 May 2016.
Curtin, John. "Art in the Age of Nanotechnology." Art.Base.
30 Apr. 2010. Web. 23 May 2016.
The video "A Boy and His Atom", was very interesting. I am unfamiliar with nanotechnology and was interested to see art and nanotechnology come together to make a video. Your facts about the recent technology breakthrough in the world's smallest memory bit is crazy. Unlimited storage on our devices would be a huge advancement for technology. I was struck by the notion that the body functions are so very complicated and could not be duplicated on any reasonable scale.
ReplyDeleteHi Kelsey, I found it very interesting how you talked about the Nanomandala because it is amazing how humans are able to make such molecular structures represent things such as the universe just by touching it cuing the video projected onto the sand to show something that the naked eye can't see. Nanotechnology is very interesting and everywhere and this example is a great example of this and was interesting learning about this on your blog.
ReplyDeleteI also talked about "A Boy and His Atom" in my blog post! It's interesting to see the way that art and nanotechnology can work together, compared to many of the science fiction world's dark, dystopian depictions of this burgeoning field of technology.
ReplyDelete