Week 8: Nanotech + Art

Nanotechnology is a very unique topic, as when you start to consider and study nanotechnology, the laws of physics change and quantum effects dominate. The conceptual origins of nanotechnology are contributed to Richard Feynman, with his work There’s Plenty of Room at the Bottom. I found it amazing that he was able to write 25,000 pages of the Encyclopedia on a pinhead, with each letter being 1 nanometer in size - this gave me an idea of just how small of things nanotechnology applies to. K. Eric Drexler was another scientist who was involved with nanotechnology, suggesting that nanotech was a deterministic, rather than stochastic, handling of individual atoms and molecules. He had a vision to engineer with these tiny atoms and molecules. Learning about its historical background allowed for me to grasp a better understanding of nanotechnology.

Richard Feynman sharing his ideas.

As a student interested in medicine, I really enjoyed the lecture on the role of nanotechnology in medicine, which is sometimes referred to as nanomedicine. The use of nanoparticles can reduce the toxicity of many cancer drugs, such as in chemotherapy, which in effect reduces the side effects of the drug. One example of a popular nanodrug is Abraxane. Additionally, with the use of quantum dots, particular types of diseases can be targeted and the variety of colors on quantum dots at the nano level can be very beneficial. Nanoshells are another tool that may be a potential factor in cancer therapy.

Nanorobots fighting an infection.

Although we can not see nanoparticles and to the naked human eye, there is nothing visible to prove they exist, nanoparticles are constantly part of our daily lives, which was interesting to me. There are many nano products on the market, especially in food and agriculture. Nanoparticles have a antimicrobial effect and therefore allow for longer-lasting food products. They also can contribute to more interactive, personalized foods, which I am curious about, since in what ways can food be personalized? Overall, I enjoyed this topic as I did not know a lot about nanotechnology and its role in society, so there was a lot for me to discover.

Cartoon suggesting dangers of nanoparticles in food.

References:

Gimzewski, James. “Nanotech Jim pt1.” YouTube, 21 May 2012, youtu.be/q7jM6-iqzzE.

Gimzewski, James. “Nanotech Jim pt4.” YouTube, 21 May 2012, youtu.be/yHCuZetAIhk.

Gimzewski, James. “Nanotech Jim pt6.” YouTube, 21 May 2012, youtu.be/oKlViSKkPd0?list=PL9DBF43664EAC8BC7.

Kettley, Sebastian. “Nanotechnology Breakthrough: How Cell-Sized Robots Could Target Bacteria to Fight Diseases.” Express.co.uk, Express.co.uk, 31 May 2018, www.express.co.uk/news/science/967564/Nanotechnology-medicine-nanobots-research-fight-disease-superbug-bacteria-pathogens.

Rae, Ian. “No Big Deal: There Is Little to Fear from Nanoparticles in Food.” Food Beverage, www.foodmag.com.au/no-big-deal-there-is-little-to-fear-from-nanoparticles-in-food/.

Wilson, Tony. “Richard Feynman: There's Plenty of Room at the Bottom', Nanotechnology Lecture - 1959.” Speakola, Speakola, 2 Mar. 2016, speakola.com/ideas/richard-feynman-nanotechnology-lecture-1959.