Week 9 - Christopher Flannery - Nano

The first point I took from the article by Jim Gimzewski and Victoria Vesna about nanomemes was the limit of the general public’s perception of concepts such as the nanometer. This reminded me off my Astronomy 3 class, the Nature of the Universe, when the professor tried to communicate the enormous size of existence through analogies. It also reminded me of the book The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy when a main character is placed in a machine that forces an individual to realize their size and importance in relation to the entire universe; his head explodes. I think it will be quite a while until the majority of people grasp concepts like this: even as a privileged and educated man, I struggle to myself. This dilemma relates back to last week’s topic about human consciousness and the limits of our senses. If humans don’t understand or relate to scales such as nanometers or galaxies, can it effectively be used in art? I do think the feeling one gets when thinking about the concepts is a desirable goal of art. When I googled “nano art”, the third link that came up was to NANO, Professor Vesna’s project with Jim Gimzewski. I think that this work is successful in making the audience consider that effects that nanotechnology will have on the world: the cameras at the entrance representing the threat to privacy, stimulation through tactile, visual, and audio environments, and interactive biological installations.
The discovery of the Buckminsterfullerene reassures me that nature is the best artist of all and that all areas of design can profit from the study of natural bodies. Buckminster Fuller predicted the shapes of many natural structures by drawing diverse formations and scientific theories. Some people credit him as the father of nano-art because of his foresight. After our study of tensegrity and the amazing properties of the domes, it doesn’t surprise me that this molecule is incredibly stable. Some people credit him as the father of nano-art because of his foresight.
Considering the current state of war and terrorism, nanotechnology could help in defense or be a dangerous weapon. When I read about nano-robots being used as anti-bodies, I thought of the possibility of someone creating a swarm of nano-robots to kill or control masses. When I searched for material on this topic, I found about “Grey Goo” which is a science-fiction scenario in which nano-robots reproduce and spread to consume our entire ecosystem. There are many similar theories of the apocalypse, many of which remind me of “The Matrix.” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grey_goo
Science is making a revolutionary and incredibly fact impact over the course of a lifetime and art should be keeping up. It must reflect and comment on our full spectrum of consciousness, but I am not sure how this is possible because science is advancing so quickly and our understanding is always behind.

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Nanotechnology, Week 9

Nano Technology





Nano technology is a microscience. Robots so small they can fit into our blood stream? A discussion topic came up this week that seems like it would open up a whole new world for artists. In a sense, it is like 3-Dimensional drawing because it would be almost effortless to create an image. It would definitely be a very effective way for someone to map an idea rather quickly that they wanted to show someone. I think it could potentially lead to the uprising of new artists that could create models with less "effort."





I also found a new respect for Buckminster Fuller because I realized fully how much he has contributed to both art and science. The guest lecture from last week discusss certed the importance of art in making new scientific discoveries. That has certainly shown up in this example. Furthermore, these new developments also connect to nanotechnology. In discussion, we spoke about the idea of creating very small motors that run on different magnetic fields. These motors will have many scientific implications, some discussed here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nanomotor. Specifically, the idea to move small objects around might be critical for later medical developments.





This is the obvious site to go to when questioning the ideas around nanotechnology: http://www.nanotech-now.com/. Apparently, these will be good developments for OLEDs and a lot of science systems.





I was watching Modern Marvels casually one day while eating pizza at a local joint. On the TV, all of the sudden appeared these televisions taken out of tubes and unrolled like posters, placed on a table, then turned on and they worked perfectly. Details can be seen here: http://www.wired.com/science/discoveries/news/2002/07/53987. Also, this thought led me to an idea I heard about that the military is developing. Apparently, the military is developing a helmet that would allow a soldier to see in 360 degress, all angles, giving a fairly significant advantage in the battlefield. I researched this but was not able to find any information on it, so it could be well concealed or might be a prototype idea. Either way, this does not sound like a completely impossible idea. Already, I remember this from a previous discussion as well, researchers have begun to develop different ways to help the blind see without surgery. Cameras can pick up certain color signatures, and based on how light or dark they are they would differ between two tones. It would be primitive, but it would most certainly help with motion.





In the middle of this diary, http://www.nanotech.org/?path=News/s/a/sDiary, the article discusses the development of nanotubes (picture).

These tubes could isolate the molecules that harbor very important chemical reactions. It could also lead to many more quantum discoveries in this realm. For example, certain chemical reactions could be mapped perfectly and isolated for certain processes that could reduce fuel costs, create new fuel ideas, etc.

It is clear that science holds the key to the future. But art does as well, because it was art that helped lead to the discovery of Bucky Balls and new molecule types that harbor a great capacity for dissection.

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Kelly Banh- Nanotechnology and Art

Nanotechnology in the art world has taken many forms. From DNA to other atomic and molecular structures and even shapes in nature, artists have used natural inspiration to create nanotech art. Some have played off of Buckminster Fuller’s geodesic dome, and others have worked off of plants and flowers. One of my favorite pieces is from Ghim Wei Ho of the University of Cambridge Nanoscale Science Laboratory. Ghim Wei Ho, who used a scanning electron microscope, chemical vapor deposition, and Adobe Photoshop, has produced pieces like Nano flowers and Nano trees.

This is a nano flower bouquet, “three-dimensional nanostructure grown by controlled nucleation of silicon carbide nanowires”

These are nano trees.

Pretty pictures- so what?
An article featuring the interactive exhibit of Professor James Gimzewski and Victoria Vesna explains just that. The PBS NewsHour article, “Nano: Where Art Meets Science,” discusses how art can makes science more understandable. This is definitely one of the reoccurring themes throughout the quarter. The relationship between science and art runs deeper than just art used in science and science used in art alone. It serves a greater purpose, and that is to aid the advancement or understanding of one (or both) by utilizing the other. Artists may not fully grasp the works of a scientist and vice-versa. So as a result, the two worlds could have remained isolated. The consequences of this were taught early on in the class after reading C.P. Snow’s article about bridging the gap and moving beyond specialization.
The idea of nanotechnology and art colliding is also symbolically represented. Take nanotechnology- “a field of applied science and technology covering a broad range of topics. The main unifying theme is the control of matter on a scale smaller than 1 micrometre, normally between 1-100 nanometers, as well as the fabrication of devices on this same length scale.” Art has the ability to represent ideas and concepts, as well as things that are concrete. It brings the attention of its audience to topics that may otherwise go unnoticed. It is able to project from a small inspiration and grow; perhaps even continuing to grow after the work of art is completed by the artist in the minds of its viewers. With nanotechnology being so small, art is able to project large ideas from it. Perhaps it will continue to go unnoticed if not influenced by the grand abilities of art to reach a greater audience. In this way, the union of art and science is symbolized the projection of a small scientific concept into a large display of art.
A 2003 National Geographic news article also covered this union. (http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2003/12/1223_031223_nanotechnology.html) It began the article with the say, “seeing is believing,” which is a bit ironic considering the properties of nanotechnology and how it cannot be detected by the naked human eye. Science makes it visible, and art, you can say, makes the science which makes whatever it is that is so miniscule also visible. Professor Vesna is also featured in the article, stating, “This new science is about a shift in our perception of reality from a purely visual culture to one based on sensing and connectivity.” I am intrigued by this “perception of reality.” If art comes to a point of interpretation based on every individual, where exactly is this shift taking place?

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Blogging Instructions

Each week by Sunday at midnight each student must post a 500-800 word blog entry. Reflect on the questions raised in Prof. Vesna's lecture, guest lectures, and readings. Connect these concepts to self-directed research. Provide one link for each post to something you've discovered. Examples are news articles about scientific, artistic, political events etc. that relates to class topics. Images are optional but enjoyable for everyone.

Use the "Create New Post" button in your "dashboard" once you've logged in. Use the buttons above the text box to add photos, links, and text formatting.

When Posting Always...

Label your post with your section in this format (without quotes): "Section 1"
This allows your TA to find your blog posts.

Email myself or your TA if you have technical issues.
oleary@ucla.edu
xarene@ucla.edu
zblas@ucla.edu
datadreamer@ucla.edu

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