Week 8: NanoTech + Art

This week’s topic, nanotechnology, is really interesting and attractive because I believe that people tend to be more curious about what they cannot usually see of the world, and nanotechnology is just a science of things in the nanoscale that are so small to perceive. Through the introduction videos from Professor James Ginzewski I already have a thorough comprehension of what nanotechnology is and how and where people use the tech. I must admit that it largely widens my view on nanotech because before taking the class I only think nanotechnology is used in producing some new structural (nano-scale) materials from the daily seen items such as water bottles or clothes with nanotech tags.

Close up view of nanohairs and their interaction with the surface

Synthetic gecko foot hair heirarchy

However, the truth is that scientists’ study of nano scale is far beyond the limited usage of nanotechnology as I know. I really respect what they did in better understanding the world and helping improve people’s life such as to study the gecko’s “billions of these tiny adhesive nanofiber hairs” (nanolab.me), to know about the morpho butterflies wings’ composition of “nano-sized, transparent, chitin-and-air layered structures” (asknature.com) and the nanodrugs Abraxane to help treat cancer by using “albumin nanoparticles to improve the therapeutic and safety properties of an anticancer agent.” (nano.caner.gov)

Morpho butterfly wings have tiny scales covered with microscopic ridges,

cross ribs, and other structures. These play with light waves to create brilliant

blues and speckles. The structure, instead of a chemical, creates the color.

Different nano particles are used in create different visual color

I personally would like to study more about the usage of nanotechnology in artistic creation by modern artists because besides the scientific discussion or usage of nanotechnology, the nano-scale art works indeed surprise me. Just looking at the picture of those nano art works, either a stature of simply a “painting,” I can hardly believe that they are in a hundred thousands scale of what appears to me. I think it is so amazing to be created that little that beyond my understanding and imagination before taking the course. So I did my research into this small world.

Google searching result of Willard Wigan Art, most of
which are so small that can be contained in the needle eyes.

One aspect of the advantages of nanotechnology is the smaller the better. (Chen) People may understand in this way, as long as there is enough resources in the world people can build things as large as possible, which is easy. However, sometimes, the modern world needs not the big thing because of its low accuracy and sensitivity. Think of some electric component such as vacuum tubes in the ordinary radio: the original clumsy big tube can be improved to nano-scale semiconducting transistor, the nanowire, with much higher sensitivity and bigger amplitude. Furthermore, because of the natural properties of nanoscale things, such as nanoscale special optical phenomenon, people can accomplish the same effect in art works of particular nano structure. One representative example is the the color painted on stained glass of european church. The last aspect is that by some special constructing methods people can show artistry in their creations. One artist who is somewhat familiar to me is Willard Wigan, who is an English sculptor who makes microscopic art. I remembered that I read about his works in needle eye in some magazines. Actually, “a single sculpture can be as small as 0.005 mm (0.0002 in.)” (Wikipedia.org) Think about it!

Reference:

"Gecko Hair Manufacturing." NanoRobotics Lab. Web. <http://nanolab.me.cmu.edu/projects/geckohair/>

"Wing Scales Diffract And Scatter Light: Morpho Butterflies." AskNature.org. Web.
<http://www.asknature.org/strategy/1d00d97a206855365c038d57832ebafa#.VV1gM2TBzGc>.

"The Abraxane® Story: A Nanoparticle Platform Delivers Improved Anticancer Activity." Nano Cancer Institute. 30 Jan. 2006. Web. <http://nano.cancer.gov/action/news/nanotech_news_2006-01-30e.asp>.

Chen, Yifang. "Nanotechnology and Nanoart." University of FuDan. 26 June 2013. Web.
<http://news.fudan.edu.cn/2013/0626/33825.html>.

"Willard Wigan." Wikipedia.org. Web. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Willard_Wigan>.