NanoTech + Art

May 26, 2023 

Learning about nano-science this week gave me a lot of perspective because most of the content involved technology that I've never heard of before! When Dr. Gimzewski explained that a nanometer is 10^-9 m, it felt almost impossible for me to conceptualize how small that is (Gimzewski, 2:40). I found his descriptions to be very math dense, but with a little extra research I discovered that human nails grow at an average of 1 nm / second! 

[Image 1] A fingernail grows at a rate of 1 nm / sec !

I especially enjoyed learning about the applications of understanding nanoparticles and what they can do. Some of the content made me think about how life imitates art and vice versa. For example, when Dr. Gimzewski's explained how the nanostructure of gecko feet provides the adhesive properties that allow geckos to scale walls, and how that's being replicated for tape and computer chips made me think of how much inspiration in design comes from structures that already exist (Gimzewski, 7:15). 

[Image 2] Gecko foot!

In the reading "Art in the Age of Nanotechnology", I loved learning about the artist that is creating speakers out of bone because it made obvious to me the intersection between the biotechnology art that we learned about and nanotechnology. Necessary restrictions must be in place when experimenting with nanotechnology just as I argued for with biotechnology. A great example is also the CRISPR-Cas9 gene-editing that came up this week. CRISPR-Cas9 has frightening potential if it goes unchecked, but it's also a really incredible and profound use of nanotechnology (Doudna, 5:16).

[Image 3] Image of Transjuicer the bone audio speakers at the nanoscale.

Overall, I feel this week of lectures and readings included a range of concepts to understand the topic and it left me really interested in the future of nanotechnology and how it may continue to be applied!

Citations

Art.Base. “Art in the Age of Nanotechnology on Art.Base,” n.d. https://art.base.co/event/2104-art-in-the-age-of-nanotechnology#3.

Doudna, Jennifer. “How CRISPR Lets Us Edit Our DNA,” n.d. https://www.ted.com/talks/jennifer_doudna_how_crispr_lets_us_edit_our_dna?utm_campaign=tedspread&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=tedcomshare.

“The Nanomeme Syndrome: Blurring of Fact & Fiction in the Construction of a New Science,” n.d. http://vv.arts.ucla.edu/publications/publications/02-03/JV_nano/JV_nano_artF5VG.htm.

UC Online. “Nanotech Jim Pt1,” May 21, 2012. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q7jM6-iqzzE.

UC Online. “Nanotech Jim Pt3,” May 21, 2012. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X0HCNiU_108.

Image Citations

[Image 1] Faulkes, Zen. “The Nano Scale, Fingernails, and Using Yourself as a Research Subject,” n.d. http://neurodojo.blogspot.com/2012/03/nano-scale-fingernails-and-using.html.

[Image 2] Luntz, Stephen. “Gecko-like Pads For Climbing Walls Could Finally Be Mass Produced.” IFLScience, May 8, 2020. https://www.iflscience.com/gecko-like-pads-for-climbing-walls-could-finally-be-mass-produced-55968.

[Image 3] Art.Base. “Art in the Age of Nanotechnology on Art.Base,” n.d. https://art.base.co/event/2104-art-in-the-age-of-nanotechnology#3.