Unit 8: Nanotechnology and Art

I found it interesting how nanotechnology is primarily based on sense and feeling because we are unable to physically see any proof of its existence. This is a different way of thinking for scientists, who are known for usually only believing things that they can physically prove or visualize (The Nanomeme Syndrome). Nanotechnology was a difficult thing for me to grasp because I usually have a “seeing is believing” mindset, however the development of this technology and its importance in our society helped me to understand its existence.
Image result for nanotechnology

This picture above helps to show the size of nanomaterials in comparison to other objects.
Image result for nanotechnology in food

Something that stuck out to me in this week’s lectures is that we actually consume nanoproducts. It kind of freaked me out that there are these tiny products within some of the food we eat that can make such an impact. The personalized food idea, such as flavorless vitamins within bread, struck me as a really cool idea (Vesna). However, I still don’t really understand how that would work.

I started to get a better understanding of Nanotechnology and Art after reading “Art in the Age of Nanotechnology”. Art using nanotechnology helps to “challenge, explore and critique our understanding of the material world and has…[presented] new ways of seeing, sensing and connecting with matter that’s miniscule and abstract” (John Curtin Gallery).






This made me interested in discovering different examples of how nanotechnology is used in different art forms, leading me to find, “A Boy And His Atom: The World’s Smallest Movie”. In this frame by frame film, the boy, made out of carbon monoxide molecules, is able to bounce and throw a ball, jump on a trampoline, and dance. The image in this video is magnified over 100 million times. The creators of the movie, IBM Research, experiment by moving atoms around to make a difference in data storage.


There is so much possibility that lies within microscopic objects!

Work Cited

"Art in the Age of Nanotechnology." Art.Base. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 May 2017. <https://art.base.co/event/2104-art-in-the-age-of-nanotechnology>.

Friends of the Earth. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 May 2017. <http://www.foe.org/projects/food-and-technology/nanotechnology>.

"Nanotechnology in Art and Film." Revolution Fibres. N.p., 01 Nov. 2015. Web. 29 May 2017. <http://www.revolutionfibres.com/2015/11/nanotechnology-in-art-and-film/>.

The Nanomeme Syndrome: Blurring of Fact & Fiction in the Construction of a New Science. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 May 2017. <http://vv.arts.ucla.edu/publications/publications/02-03/JV_nano/JV_nano_artF5VG.htm>.

Uconlineprogram. "Nanotech Jim Pt6." YouTube. YouTube, 21 May 2012. Web. 29 May 2017. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=PL9DBF43664EAC8BC7&v=oKlViSKkPd0>.


Comments

  1. UnknownMay 31, 2017 at 12:33 PM

    Reading your blog was very interesting. I had no idea either that we actually consume nano-products. It will be interesting to see how scientists use these in our foods in the future.

    ReplyDelete

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