This week’s lesson on Nanotechnology & Art was a little more difficult for me to understand,
especially given my English major background and limited knowledge regarding the patterns and presence of atoms and molecules. Rather than studying Chemistry in high school,
I chose to specialize in Biology and Oceanography – and thus, I wasn't extremely familiar with the topics being covered this week.
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| "Nanoparticles" http://www.nano-xpert.com/nanoparticles.html |
I was, however, fascinated by Dr. Gimzewski’s discussion of Nanoparticles
and how they remain “one of the biggest areas of business in terms of
commercial products in the market today” (Vesna, “Lecture: Nanotech Jim pt3”).
Dr. Gimzewski sparked my interest when he showed us pictures of the Roman goblet
and other ancient materials consisting of nanoparticles, prompting me to
research other images of ancient artwork (i.e. ceramics, plates, sculptures, etc.) consisting of evident nanoparticles. Below is an image of a glazed
ceramic piece with contains “embedded copper and silver nanoparticles” (“Instant
Insight: Science and Art in Harmony”).
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| "Science & Art in Harmony" http://www.rsc.org/Publishing/ChemTech/Volume/2007/10/Science_art_in_harmony.asp |
I also came across an
extremely interesting article entitled “Nanoparticle Emissions from Traditional
Pottery Manufacturing,” which explores the risk of firing ceramics due to their
release of concentrated amounts of “airborne particles that are harmful to
human health” (Voliotis). As I was reading this article, I couldn’t help but
think about how interesting it is that such particles are no risk when they are
compounded into an object; however, they can cause diseases (i.e. lead poisoning) when they are broken down
into smaller pieces and inhaled by human beings.
On the other hand, as Dr.
Gimzewski mentioned in Part 3 of his lecture, Nanoparticles can also serve
positive purposes – as in the case of “Nanosilver Socks,” which can eliminate
odors and moreover, contain and reduce sweating (www.nanosilver.eu).
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| "Nanosilver Socks" https://www.nanosilver.eu/Tema/Why-Nanosilver/Magical-Socks-Nanosilver-with-Silver-Nanoparticles |
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| "Antimicrobial Socks" http://www.sterishoe.com/foot-care-blog/toenail-fungus-treatments/antimicrobial-socks/ |
Overall, I was pretty shocked to learn about the several ways in which nanoparticles can both harm and HELP humans. If channeled correctly, nanoparticles and microbial bacterias can truly reinvent objects in demand as more efficient and quite honestly, more useful (as in the case of 'Nanosilver Socks').
WORKS CITED
"Antimicrobial Socks: What Exactly Are You Putting On Your Feet?" Digital Image. SteriShoe. N.p., 17 May 2013. Web. 20 May 2015.
“Instant
Insight: Science and Art in Harmony.” Digital Image. Highlights in Chemical Technology. 24 Sept 2007. Web. 20 May 2015.
“Magical
Socks Nanosilver with Silver Nanoparticles.” NanoTrade: Nanotechnology Forever:
2008. Web. 20 May 2015.
"Nanoparticles." Digital Image. Nano-Xpert.
N.p., n.d. Web. 20 May 2015.
Vesna, Victoria. “Nanotech Jim pt3.”
UCOnlineProgram. YouTube. 21 May 2012. Web. 20 May 2015.
Voliotis, A. "Nanoparticle Emissions from
Traditional Pottery Manufacturing." PubMed (2014): n. pag. National Center
for Biotechnology Information. Web. 20 May 2015.
Hi, I think that you did a great job of logically flowing your blog. Also, I think that you clearly mentioned what the lectures told us, which is mainly Dr. Gimzewski in your blog. What's more, I think that you did really well of connecting your own experience to what you learned from the lecture.
ReplyDeleteWhat's more, I think that your example of nano sock is really appropriate, since this is an example of how nanotechnology is used in our practical lives.
Indeed, nanotechnology is a relatively new invention for most of us, but overall, I think you did a great job!
Similar to the nano sock example your discussed in your blog post, I was surprised to see that many small health care appliances on the market also utilize nanotechnology. In particular, I found that the hair styling tools I own relies on nano particles which promise an improved styling experience and an anti bacterial function. This just goes to show how nanotechnolgy has been impacting many aspects of our lives and even reinventing some aspects of our practical lives!
ReplyDeleteAlthough I am a science major and have taken courses in chemistry, nanotechnology was a new topic for me as well. It is incredible that nanotechnology is not spoken about more often considering how advantageous future advancements could be. I liked how you talked about pottery and the potential harms involved with nanotechnology as well. It seems easy to focus on how great new technologies could be but it is very important to analyze what some of the dangers involved as well.
ReplyDelete