Nanotech + Art



Nanotech + Art



I took a great interest in this week’s topic in nanotechnology. As a materials science and engineering major, some of the topics covered were things I focus on within my major. For example the different allotropes of carbon (diamond, graphene, graphite, nanotubes, buckyballs) are a large area of study since my major focuses on the structure of materials and how the atoms are arranged. These differences in structure can lead to different material properties including color, conductivity, and strength. Being able to control the size, structure, and shape of materials allows us to improve upon or create new materials that can be catered to specific applications.




Feynman was correct in predicting that the future would focus on scaling things down in size and that there was “room at the bottom”. There is so much that we still do not know in the field of nanotechnology and there have still been huge discoveries such as graphene which are fairly recent. Not only does this show that this field is still growing, but also that there are so many applications for these discoveries that haven’t been found yet. 




For example the invention of reusable tape was inspired off of the feet of a gecko. Also the shape of the bullet train in Japan was modeled after the kingfisher’s bird beak as seen above. Honeycomb reinforcement for structures and aerospace was also inspired by the honeycombs of bees which have a high strength to weight ratio. I find biomimicry to be an important part of scientific research because it inspires so many new ideas and ultimately leads to incredible discoveries.




References

"Alibaba Manufacturer Directory - Suppliers, Manufacturers, Exporters & Importers ." Alibaba Manufacturer Directory - Suppliers, Manufacturers, Exporters & Importers . N.p., n.d. Web. 28 May 2017.

"Allotropes of Carbon." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 27 May 2017. Web. 28 May 2017. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allotropes_of_carbon>.

"Center for Responsible Nanotechnology." What Is Nanotechnology? N.p., n.d. Web. 28 May 2017. <http://www.crnano.org/whatis.htm>.

Gimzewski. “Lecture Part 1-6.” Nanotech+ Art. 28 May 2017. Lecture.

"Nature's Wisdom: 9 Brilliant Examples of Biomimicry in Design." WebEcoist. N.p., 31 Dec. 2014. Web. 28 May 2017. <http://webecoist.momtastic.com/2014/12/31/natures-wisdom-9-brilliant-examples-of-biomimicry-in-design/>.




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