Week 8: Nanotech + Art
Nanotechnology is a very unknown field and many people only have a vague understanding of it.
Nanotechnology is a
field that I have known about for many years, but had never fully understood
what sort of processes, concepts, and ideas were being explored in this field.
However, the lectures, readings and resources this week have given me greater insight
into the field of nanotechnology.
Despite this, the
field and advancements in nanotechnology still seem to be very distant and
unknown to most people, including me.
This is quite ironic, because nanotechnology has been applied to so many
everyday products, such as sunscreen, cosmetics, health supplements, and
agrochemicals like fertilizers and pesticides ("Nanotech Jim pt6").
Ray Kurzweil even mentions this in his TED Talk, stating that we are getting
closer to this technology, as phones can now fit into our pockets, and soon
technology will have advanced enough that it could fit into a single blood cell
(Kurzweil).
Nanotechnology has
been integrated into a wide range of fields to tackle many issues in today's
society. Silver nanoparticles have been used in food packaging because of their
antimicrobial effects, and research into the hydrophobic nature of lotus leaves
has led to the development of self-cleaning products ("Nanotech Jim pt3).
The El Cascajo wetlands before and after restoration with the use of nanobubbles.
Even with all of
these improvements and developments in nanotechnology, most people have no idea
how it is being integrated into so many aspects of our everyday lives and how
it has the potential to solve so many pressing issues. But many artists are attempting
to bridge this gap and make the world of nanotechnology more accessible. James
Gimzewski discussed the use of nanobubbles in the restoration of the El Cascajo
wetlands in Peru (Gimzewski). While the actual use of nanobubbles could not be
observed by the naked eye, the effects of their use could clearly be seen, as
the wetlands, previously heavily polluted and covered in "water
lettuce", were restored back to its natural state.
Christa Sommerer and Laurent Mignonneau's exhibit to make the world of nanotechnology more accessible to the public.
Christa Sommerer and
Laurent Mignonneau are two artists that have also tried to make the world of
nanotechnology more accessible to the general public by creating a
"wireless magnetic force-feedback interface [to allow] users to touch
invisible nano particles, creating an ever-changing invisible sculpture, which
modifies its shape and properties as users interact with it and each
other." ("Art")
I hope that as the
field of nanotechnology continues to progress and infiltrates into our lives,
more effort will be put in to informing the public more about this field and
making it more accessible to us.
Sources
- Nanotech Jim pt6. Dir. James Gimzewski. YouTube. UC Online Program, 21 May 2012. Web. 27 May 2017.
- Kurzweil, Ray. TED. TED Conferences, LLC, Feb. 2009. Web. 27 May 2017.
- Nanotech Jim pt3. Dir. James Gimzewski. YouTube. UC Online Program, 21 May 2012. Web. 27 May 2017.
- Gimzewski, James. "James Gimzewski." Ecocentric Art and Science Symposium. California Nanosystems Institute, Los Angeles. 21 Apr. 2017. Lecture.
- "Art in the age of nanotechnology." John Curtin Gallery. The Art.Base, 11 Mar. 2010. Web. 27 May 2017.
Hi Sarah, I really like your point when you state that nanotechnology still feels unknown to us even though it is such a prevalent part of our lives. With its application in consumer products, environmental protection, and medical treatments, nanotechnology appears to be everywhere yet we know so little about it. I hope that through artists, nanotechnology will be made known in the world. Through physical interactions and/or in-depth thinking, artists can inform us about nanotechnology while allowing us to experience it first-hand. Learning about artists such as Sommerer and Mignonneau, I am optimistic that the world will further understand nanotechnology, specifically through artistic approaches, therefore bridging the gap between science and art.
ReplyDeleteI agree that nanotechnology remains very unfamliar to most of us even though it is in fact embedded in our daily lives. It is definitely fascinating how nanotechnology provides solutions to many problems of the modern days. I appreciate its precision and accuracy that will allow even more to come in the future. Its potential is boundless, and its advancement is exciting.
ReplyDeleteI can definitely relate to your point when you state that nanotechnology still feels unknown to us. It definitely is really used quite a lot in society but people just don't really know. However, I feel that one day the world will understand nanotechnology through the efforts of scientists such as Dr. James Gimzewski. I also would like to say that nanotechnology will be an alternative method in saving the environment later on.
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