Week 8 - nanotechnology and Art

This week’s topic of nanotechnology was difficult for me to comprehend because I had never before thought about nanotechnology.  Deals with the manipulation of individual atoms and molecules conducted at the nanoscale, which is about 1 to 100 nanometers.  For an example of how small a nanometer is, a sheet of paper is 100,00 nanometers thick.  Prior to this class I would have never connected science with art, and prior to this week, I would never imagine art to be done at such incredibly small scale.  However, I was surprised that when I researched more about the topic, thousands of results showed up about artists working at this nano-level and the challenges they face.

Visual Art is generally thought of as an expression that is done with and appreciated at a level easily observed by the eye. “Nanoscale objects are not only too small to see but too small to photograph with even with the best cameras. It takes devices such as scanning electron microscopes to get nanoscale images of any sort” (The art of nanotech).  These artists face the challenge of working on projects that are basically unobservable.

Along with visual art,  Nanotech is being utilized in fashion.  New nanotechnology allows clothes to resist spills and wrinkles, and wear longer between washings. By reconstructing atoms at the lowest level, nanotechnology is revolutionizing fashion capabilities and durability.

If used for positive motives, nanoscience could create vast opportunities in art and technology. I am excited for what the future has in store for us if we continue to use nanotech to further our society.

"The Art of Nanotech." Bits The Art of Nanotech Comments. N.p., 25 Jan. 2008. Web. 24  May 2015.

"Nanotech in Fashion: The Trend in New Fabrics." NPR. NPR, n.d. Web. 24 May 2015.

"8 Incredible Nanotechnologies That Actually Exist Today." Io9. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 May 2015.

"When Nanotechnology Meets Art." ScienceAndReligioncom. N.p., 20 Apr. 2011. Web. 24 May 2015.