Week 8: Nanotech & Art
As technology evolves we are able to pack more into a phone or computer which means the space inside the object becomes more important. So as space becomes more important, the need for technology to be smaller also becomes just as important. The word "nano" is 10^-9 so a nanometer would be a millionth of a meter which is so small that work has to be done under a microscope. In this week I found "Making Stuff: Smaller", "Art in the Age of Nanotechnology" and Paul Rothemund's TED Talk to be the most influential resources that gave me a better understanding of the topic.
The video "Making Stuff: Smaller" gave me a good grasp on how important nanotechnology is for our society. As we've seen over the last few decades technology has evolved rapidly and this nanotechnology allows for this tech to include more features while using less space. For example when the first flat screens came out they weighed about 85 pounds with thick glass panels and could cost $12,000, nowadays they are much more affordable and weigh a fraction of what they used to being only 0.3 inches wide. As nanotech has allowed us to come this far already, we also look to use this to progress in other aspects of society. Scientist has theorized that by using carbon nano-tubes we could create space elevators. These carbon nanotubes are so strong and lightweight that they could be used as the tether for the elevator. This would be much more cost-effective in the long run and could even create an economy for space vacations.
The "Art in the Age of Technology" also helped me see the role of nanotech in art as well. Nanotech has been a staple in many films. For example well known movies such as "Star Trek: First Contact touches on the idea of nano-probes being injected into the citizens of earth to rewrite our DNA, or Dr. Norman Osborn a.k.a The Green Goblin from spiderman uses work on nanotechnology as his cover but also as a part of his evil. These two examples showed me that although nanotech could be used for endless things to make our society better, it could be very powerful in the wrong hands.
Lastly the TED Talk by Paul Rothemund gave his explanation on DNA folding, a type of nanotechnology. He talks about how the slightest changes in a DNA sequence can lead to different phenotypic mutations like an extra finger or set of wings. With the development of nanotech we now have the ability to bring on these mutations in a lab. Now crazy scientists from movies aren't the only ones who have the power to change DNA and create species with specific mutations.
Sources:
"Art in the Age of Nanotechnology." Art.Base. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 May 2017.
Rothemund, Paul. "DNA Folding, in Detail." TED. Feb. 2008. Lecture.
"Making Stuff: Smaller" PBS. Public Broadcasting Service, n.d. Web. 25 May 2017.
Murphy, Cathy. "Nano in the Movies." Sustainable Nano. N.p., 12 Feb. 2015. Web. 29 May 2017.
"What is Nanotechnology?" What is Nanotechnology? | Nano. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 May 2017.
Pics:
https://sustainablenano.files.wordpress.com/2015/02/murphy-voyager-nanoprobes.jpg
https://cnet4.cbsistatic.com/img/U7KUEmSV_xjcfRlroxk-IEImIl4=/2012/12/05/bd5763e7-fdc5-11e2-8c7c-d4ae52e62bcc/32915921-2-300-SD-3.jpg
http://4k.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/LGs_first_Ultra_HD_4K_OLED_TV_comes_to_the_US_next_month-3.jpg
https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/a4/aa/e5/a4aae5e5aec5efb91ed9fff779c277ec.jpg
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