Unit 8 - Nanotechnology + Art

Nanotechnology is a field that impacts both the arts and sciences by introducing new areas beyond everything we know. Because the scale is reduced to nanometers, the laws of physics that would normally apply changes. For example, from normal to nanoscale, opaque is transparent, inert is a catalyst, stable is combustible, solid is liquid, and insulator is conductor. Nanotechnology is not as widely known in the public compared to genetic modification, but nonetheless, it's used in everybody's daily lives from nano-medicine to nano-foods. For this blog, rather than explaining the benefits and consequences of nanotechnology, I want to talk about a few concepts that connect to art.

"Electromagnetic Spectrum - Visible Light Spectrum" by Iain Carstairs.

In the electromagnetic spectrum, there is a visible light spectrum from 400nm to 700nm and that's how we see color. Contrary to what one would expect, a butterfly's wings are not colored by pigment like a leaf. Instead, the Blue Morpho wings have nano-photonics to harvest light to reflect color. There are hundreds of thousands of overlapping scales on top of a structural mesh complete with veins and nerves. Small variables can be seen as the scales move in the wind and reflect light rather than allow it to pass through. Depending on the viewing angle, colors are reflected and co-ordinated with the surrounding areas hence the different shades and patterns. Light is scattered to make the veins and nerves seem invisible. It's amazing how these nanometer scales can produce something beautiful using light as the foundation yet still fundamental to other insects.

“Biophotonics: Strongly angular-dependent reflections of the Blue Morpho butterfly caused by nanostructure.” by Theoretische Physik I.

Self-organization and self-assembly are fascinating topics brought up in the lectures. I had a basic understanding of these topics before, but this week motivated me to do some research. Self-organization is a spontaneous process where some form of coordination arises out of the local interactions between the components of an intially disordered system. An example of this is a bird flock fleeing from a hawk. Although the birds are under attack, they still fly together. Self-assembly is a type of process in which a disordered system of pre-existing components forms an organized structure as a consequence of a specific, local interactions among the components themselves, without external direction. An example of this is regenerating tissues, DNA structures, or the bacterial flagellum. Although not directly art, I can see the beauty of these spontaneous processes – out of chaos, order appears. Within nanotechnology, I'm most excited to see how self-organization and self-assembly will be used to change our world.

“Starlings over Rome.” by Tera-Form.

“Self-Assembling Nanofiber Spheres Act as Cell Carriers in Tissue Repair.” by Shana Leonard.

Yours truly,

Calvin Cam

Works Cited

“Art in the Age of Nanotechnology.” Artabase. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Nov. 2013. <http://www.artabase.net/exhibition/2104-art-in-the-age-of-nanotechnology>.

“Biophotonics: Strongly angular-dependent reflections of the Blue Morpho butterfly caused by nanostructure.” Theoretische Physik I. Web. 19 Nov. 2013. <http://www.theorie1.physik.uni-erlangen.de/gerd/teaching/2013-softmat-seminar/2013-softmatter-seminar.html>.

Carstairs, Iain. “When Nanotechnology Meets Art.” ScienceAndReligion. Wordpress, 20 Apr. 2011. Web. 19 Nov. 2013. <http://iaincarstairs.wordpress.com/2011/04/20/when-nanotechnology-meets-art/>.

Gimzewski, James K. “Nanotech Jim pt5.” Cole UC online. Youtube, 21 May. 2012. Web. 19 Nov. 2013. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4OWc8nmHJmY>.

Leonard, Shana. “Self-Assembling Nanofiber Spheres Act as Cell Carriers in Tissue Repair.” Qmed, 21 Apr. 2011. Web. 19 Nov. 2013. <http://www.qmed.com/mpmn/medtechpulse/self-assembling-nanofiber-spheres-act-cell-carriers-tissue-repair>.

“Starlings over Rome.” Tera-Form, 11 Mar. 2011. Web. 19 Nov. 2013. <http://www.tera-form.com/?p=116>.