Sunday, May 28, 2017

Nanotech + Art

When we retrace the progress of technology, the trend of technology apparently is making things as small as possible. The evolution of mobile phones is a great example to illustrate the phenomena. While looking back over a distance of a century, the classic brick phone, which was named The Motorola DynaTAC 8000X, was a big step of the invention of handheld mobile. But, it was not the end of making the communication devices more smaller and easier to carry-on, and it is the goal that people constantly striving for excellence. Nowadays, we are using the “Smart Phones” in which have been becoming our daily necessities and personal belongings. Indeed, they are portable with a pocket-size and intellectual. Curiously, what is the idea and the way to make “The Smaller” possible, not only for phones but also for everything? After watching the video “Making Stuff: Smaller” which was credit by David Pouge, a new version of future technologies is impressed into my mind. Plus, the video make me believe much more that future technologies will depend on tiny stuff, even invisible, which is against the concept of the past “seeing is believing.”
bone audio speaker at the nanoscale
The lecture of this week is taking about nanotechnology and art. According to the video, we have been taught about the history of nanotechnology and its concept. Nanotechnology was introduced in 1959 by a scientist, Richard Feynman. He did not give the term “nanotechnology” in his lecture “There’s plenty of Room at the Bottom”, instead, he provided the idea of narrowing the focus to the smaller particles of items. The idea certainly have been influencing strongly in today’s technology. Doubtlessly, nanotech spans much of areas, such as chemistry, medicine, or even art.
By visiting a web page of The Art.Base, it details an event of international arts festival exhibition which was showing the unique works that developed for art in the age of nanotechnology. All creations were operated at the intersection of art, science, and technology. The exhibition certainly demonstrated the innovative idea of the collaboration of contemporary art, science, and technology. The creation, Boo Chapple- Transjuicer, turns me on because the project is to make audio speakers out of bone at the nanoscale.


Pandora flowers Courtesy Jian Shi, University of Wisconsin

In short, science surely can produce art and most of art works show materials smaller, more delicate and beautiful. The Professor, Victoria Vesna, who is also a chair of the UCLA Department of Design/Media Art, has said “new science is about a shift in our perception of reality from a purely visual culture to one based on sensing and connectivity.” It is enjoyable to browse the art-works with novel skills of technology; meanwhile, it is good to learn about new nanoscale materials and their potential used.


Reference:
1. Vesna, Victoria. "Nanotech Intro." YouTube. UCOnlineProgram, 26 March 2012. Web. 28 May 2017. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fvp924_pbgc.

2. Gimzewski, Jim. "Nanotech Jim Pt 3." YouTube. UCOnlineProgram, 21 May 2012. Web. 28 May 2017. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X0HCNiU_108.

3. Gimzewski, Jim. "Nanotech Jim Pt 2." YouTube. UCOnlineProgram, 21 May 2012. Web. 28 May 2017. https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=76&v=HEp6t0v-v9c.

4. Gimzewski, Jim. "Nanotech Jim Pt 4." YouTube. UCOnlineProgram, 21 May 2012. Web. 28 May 2017. https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=103&v=yHCuZetAIhk.

5.Lovgren, Stefan. "Can Art Make Nanotechnology Easier to Understand?" National Geographic. National Geographic Society, 23 Dec. 2003. Web. 29 May 2017. <http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2003/12/1223_031223_nanotechnology.html>

6. Lilley, Maiken. "The Art of Nanotech." PBS. Public Broadcasting Service, 18 Nov. 2010. Web. 29 May 2017. <http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/tech/art-nanotech.html>

7. "Art in the Age of Nanotechnology." Art.Base. The Art.Base, n.d. Web. 29 May 2017. <https://art.base.co/event/2104-art-in-the-age-of-nanotechnology>

8. Pogue, David. "Making Stuff." PBS. Public Broadcasting Service, 26 Jan. 2011. Web. 29 May 2017. <http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/tech/making-stuff.html#making-stuff-smaller>

9. Nguyen, Nicole. "The Evolution Of The Cell Phone-How Far It's Come!" ReadWrite. ReadWrite, 04 July 2014. Web. 29 May 2017. <http://readwrite.com/2014/07/04/cell-phone-evolution-popsugar/>

1 comment:

  1. That's such a good point about the trend to minimize the size on products! As Feynman says, we have space to explore in this nanotech world. Items being small, beyond the easier use and space component, are also an artistic statement and curate a certain aesthetic. iPhones are described as "thin" and "sleek," -- and are in high demand.

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