week 8: nanotechnology & art

    This week's content was super interesting! I hadn’t had much experience or knowledge of nanotechnology prior to this, so it was captivating and thought-provoking to learn about how revolutionizing nanotechnology is. It also shocked me to see how nanotechnology is making its way into so many aspects of our lives. 

    To start, nanotechnology dates back centuries. Though it is a relatively new field of knowledge for myself, it's actually really cool to learn that it has been present throughout history. In fact, it has been discovered that the Romans had experience with nanotechnology (Bayda et al 2019). The Roman Lycurgus Cup is evidence of nanotechnology; the existence of nanoparticles creates the dichroic effect of the class (Bayda et al 2019). 

Patowary, Kaushik. “Lycurgus Cup: A Piece of Ancient Roman Nanotechnology.” Amusing Planet, 19 Aug. 2020, www.amusingplanet.com/2016/12/lycurgus-cup-piece-of-ancient-roman.html.

    In our modern day, nanotechnology has been implemented in a variety of mediums. For example, nanotechnology has been used in clothing and furniture in an effort to create water-proof and stain resistant materials (Marr 2022). In addition to this, nanotechnology–specifically titanium dioxide and zinc oxide–has been used within sunscreen in order to create products that are more effective at blocking UV rays as well as lighter in consistency (Marr 2022). This helps create more effective and consumer-friendly products. 

    Along with this, nanotechnology has been a massive tool in revolutionizing medicine. Because nanotechnology operates on such a small scale, they are able to be used to address issues at the cellular level (Sindhwani and Chan 2021). An example of nanotechnology in medicine is the adoption of ferumoxytol for those who are iron deficient (Sindhwani and Chan 2021). As a result of this, nanotechnology has allowed for more successful and non-invasive avenues of medicine for people.

“Nanomedicine.” The Scientist Magazine®, www.the-scientist.com/cover-story/nanomedicine-37087. Accessed 25 May 2023.

    Nanotechnology has even aided in shifting the art and science paradigm–contributing to newfound ways of conservation and creation. For conservation, nanotechnology–specifically micelles and micro-emulsions–has been instrumental in safely removing debris and stains from paintings; these methods of conservation are also much more environmentally-friendly than others (Sunipapramanik 2017). Along with this, nanotechnology itself is a form of art. Nanoparticles–in addition to tools such as scanning microscopes–can be used to capture the imprints and intricate structures of the particles in an effort to create vibrant and captivating works of art (El Sayegh 2022). 

Feder, Barnaby J. “The Art of Nanotech.” The New York Times, 25 Jan. 2008, archive.nytimes.com/bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/01/25/the-art-of-nanotech/.



Works Cited


Bayda, Samer, et al. “The History of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology: From Chemical-Physical Applications to Nanomedicine.” Molecules (Basel, Switzerland), 27 Dec. 2019, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6982820/.


El Sayegh, Abdul Mohsen. “The Impact of Nanotechnology on Nanoart to Create Artwork: An Analytical Study.” International Journal of Education, Learning and Development, vol. 10, no. 10, 2022, pp. 29–47, https://doi.org/10.37745/ijeld.2013/vol10n102947.


Marr, Bernard. “7 Amazing Everyday Examples of Nanotechnology in Action.” Forbes, 12 Oct. 2022, www.forbes.com/sites/bernardmarr/2020/07/03/7-amazing-everyday-examples-of-nanotechnology-in-action/?sh=338003a63e82.


Sindhwani, Shrey, and Warren C. W. Chan. “Nanotechnology for Modern Medicine: Next Step ... - Wiley Online Library.” Wiley Online Library , 22 Jan. 2021, onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/joim.13254.


Sunipapramanik. “Art Conservation and Nanotechnology: A Wonderful Confluence of Arts and Sciences.” Sustainable Nano, 12 May 2017, sustainable-nano.com/2017/05/12/art-conservation-and-nanotechnology/.


Media Cited


Feder, Barnaby J. “The Art of Nanotech.” The New York Times, 25 Jan. 2008, archive.nytimes.com/bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/01/25/the-art-of-nanotech/.


“Nanomedicine.” The Scientist Magazine®, www.the-scientist.com/cover-story/nanomedicine-37087. Accessed 25 May 2023.


Patowary, Kaushik. “Lycurgus Cup: A Piece of Ancient Roman Nanotechnology.” Amusing Planet, 19 Aug. 2020, www.amusingplanet.com/2016/12/lycurgus-cup-piece-of-ancient-roman.html.

Comments

  1. Elise WagleMay 26, 2023 at 9:56 PM

    Nanotechnology is a new concept to me as well. I had not heard of it prior to this week's lecture. It's so interesting to me that even though I was unaware of the concept, it is all around me. For example I use sunscreen almost every day, yet I had no idea that was considered nanotechnology. Nanotechnology has improved my life and I didn't even know.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. AnonymousMay 27, 2023 at 10:58 AM

      It is intriguing to discover the historical roots of nanotechnology and its wide range of applications. I was particularly captivated by its impact on medicine, art, and conservation. This post left me excited to see the boundless possibilities of nanotechnology in the future.

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