Week 8: Nanotechnology + Art

This week’s topic really helps me to understand more about the nanotechnology, and I am extremely interested in this topic. Nanotechnology is a word I always hear, but I don’t really know what it is, and I think it is a modern technique that just scientists need to deal with. Professor James K. Gimzewski’s lecture shows me a new world of Nanotechnology, and he states that nanotechnology products are actually common in the daily life. We can even see nano particles in materials in pottery from the Renaissance period. By using nanotechnology, scientists use small balls to show chemical atoms.

Nanotechnology helps us to improve our lives, and we can use our artistic creativity in a new way. Nanotechnology helps to make tiny, abstract matter visible, and it helps us to study nano particles which are very small. Nano particles can be used in a lot of different industries such as electronic, biomedical and so on. Nano particles are more reactive than other molecules, and people use this characteristic to benefit our life. For example, people use nano particles of iron to clean up chemicals in the underground water. Besides, the lecture shows the lotus leaf effect which helps people create surfaces of treatment that can stay dry. 

Nanotechnology can also potentially hurt people if we over use it. Nanotechnology is applied in food and cosmetics. Nano particles can make food more delicious, and it can also color the food. However, if the manufacturer over use nano particles, it can hurt our health. Cosmetics is another example, some cosmetic products with nano particles will damage people’s skin and aquatic ecosystems. 

In this week’s lecture, I know that Nanotechnology is not that far away from my daily life. In my personal point of view, I do believe people can definitely benefit from the Nano technology. However, we need to avoid over use Nanotechnology which will hurt us.

Work Cited:

James K. Gimzewski. Unit 8 Lecture NanoTech and Art. Part 2. UCLA. Web. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HEp6t0v-v9c>

James K. Gimezewski. Unit 8 Lecture NanoTech and Art. Part 6. UCLA. Web. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oKlViSKkPd0&list=PL9DBF43664EAC8BC7>

"An Introduction to Nanotechnology." Understanding Nano. Web. May 24. 2013. http://www.understandingnano.com/introduction.html.

 “Exploring the Lotus Effect." Teach Engineering. Web. May 24. 2015. http://www.teachengineering.org/view_activity.php?url=collection/duk_/activities/duk_surfacetensionunit_activities/duk_surfacetensionunit_act4.xml.

 "Nanoparticles in food, vitamins could harm human health." Mar 22. 2013. Web. May 24. 2015. http://csglobe.com/nanoparticles-in-food-vitamins-could-harm-human-health/

Leah Zerbe. "Your Makeup Could Have an Ugly Effect on Your Health." May 17. 2010. Web. May 24. 2015. <http://www.rodalenews.com/nanoparticles-and-cosmetics>