This week we discussed the current state of nanotechnology and it's current relationship with art. The first aspect of nanotechnology which interested me was the idea that nanotechnology has benefited from discoveries in other areas. The first example of this is the inspiration behind how the Buckminsterfullerenes (also known as the buckyball) was discovered. The buckyball is a molecular form of carbon which uses 60 carbon molecules to form a sphere. This molecule was known of in the past, but its structure was not discovered until Richard E. Smalley looked into architecture. By looking at geodesic domes, which were popularized by Richard Buckminster Fuller, Smalley was able to figure out the buckyball's structure. This is a perfect example of the crossover between nanotechnology and art. Like many other forms of science, nanotech and art have been able to learn and develop together even though they may seem like contradictory ideas.
Morpho butterfly
In the same way nanotech has benefited from architecture, it has also gained a lot from nature itself. Some scientists have been looking at ways in which nature operates on a nano scale. This is process is known as biomimicry and has provided valuable insight into how molecules can be manipulated to serve our purposes. There are numerous examples of biomimicry but some of the most interesting include nano-waterproofing based on the lotus flower and nano-adhesion based on gecko feet. Biomimicry in nanotechnology can also cross into the field of art through color-manipulation as seen in the morpho butterfly. With this technology, molecules can be made to form a range of different colors instead of just the normal color of the molecule. With this, hypothetically any color can be produced. With this sort of potential, I am excited to see where nanotechnology takes us in the future.
Example of waterproofing from biomimicry
Work Cited:
Arndt, Devrah. "Nature's nanotechnology, bio-mimicry, and making the superpowers of your dreams a reality." Sustainable Nano, 3 Dec 2013, http://sustainable-nano.com/2013/12/03/natures-nanotechnology-bio-mimicry-and-making-the-superpowers-of-your-dreams-a-reality-4/.
Edelson, Edward. “Buckyball: The Magic Molecule.” Popular Science, Popular Science, 2 May 2016, www.popsci.com/buckyball-magic-molecule.
Feder, Barnaby J. “Richard E. Smalley, 62, Dies; Chemistry Nobel Winner.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 29 Oct. 2005, www.nytimes.com/2005/10/29/science/richard-e-smalley-62-dies-chemistry-nobel-winner.html.
Gimzewski, Jim and Victoria Vesna. "The Nanomeme Syndrome: Blurring of Fact & Fiction in the Construction of a New Science." UCLA Arts.
Gimzewski, Jim and Victoria Vesna. "Nanotechnology and Art, Part 1-6," YouTube.
As a psychobiology major at UCLA, I have already had some exposure to the subject of biotechnology. As a matter of fact, I took a course as a freshman titled Biotechnology and Society which spanned the length of three quarters. Because of this previous experience, the artists Joe Davis and Eduardo Kac stand out to me as doing a great job in bridging biotechnology and art. Example of Brainbow Kac holding his GFP Bunny Eduardo Kac is famous for his work done with GFP (green fluorescent protein), a technology which has helped to advance the field of biotech through applications such as fluorescent labeling. While it has facilitated many other important discoveries, Kac used it to create a fluorescent rabbit as an art piece. While some may argue that this was a useless exercise, I see it as an expression of art through a canvas no one has been able to use before. It is somewhat similar in this sense to brainbow, a form of art where fluorescent tags are used to color neurons in a
Example of brainbow imaging With the concept of art and creativity being as broad as it is, I find it interesting to view the results of medical technology as being artistic. I am also surprised by how much of medicine can be viewed through the lens of art. Great examples of this from class are exhibits like Bodies or artistic viewings of MRI readings. One of my favorites, however, is brainbow. Brainbow is a neuro-imaging method where different cell types are differentiated using fluorescent proteins. There are multiple different colors available and each color can be used to color a specific cell type. This method of visualizing the brain produces some beautiful images which are not only fascinating to look at but also can provide scientific insight into the anatomy of our brains. X-Men character undergoing a medical procedure Another area where art and medical technology cross over is in movies, specifically in the recently more popular super hero movies. Some of these fi
Poster for Blade Runner Today, robots have become a part of our daily lives, even if we don't notice them. Despite their modern presence, however, I am personally interested to see where robotics advance to in the future. Fortunately, I'm not the first person to be interested in this, so there are numerous pieces of media which depict others' interpretations of our future. One great example of this is the movie Blade Runner, which takes places in a future where synthetic humans (called replicants in the movie) are used as a labor force in developing new worlds for humans to live on. These replicants are artificially created to be just like humans so they are basically hyper-advanced robots made from biological materials and which have their own consciousness and intelligence. While it would take incredible science and technology to develop "robots" like this, it would also take an incredible amount of artistry to make them so close to being human. A Bl
Comments
Post a Comment