Week 8 - Nanotechnology + Art

Water resistant clothing using hydrophobic mechanism 

The concept of nanotechnology in art was very intriguing. There were so many examples of nanotechnology that professor Gimzewski gave, many of them which we encounter everyday. Some of the surprising ones was the fact that our clothes contained it. He explained how socks and shirts often contain nanoparticles which helps fight of the bacteria when we produce sweat. This was pretty eye opening because when I learned about biotech clothing in the Arts Electronica lecture, I thought the concept of including technology into clothing was something revolutionary. However, through this lecture, I found that it was not so revolutionary at all! In fact we had been using it for many years, we just couldn't see it. It was amazing to learn that nanotechnology had been impacting our society in so many ways: from buildings, furniture, clothing, food, medicine, bodies (Gimzewski).

It was also pretty interesting to learn that scientists were getting inspired by nanotech that was found in nature and had incorporated into products that humans could use. Professor Gimzewski explained how scientists had investigated Gecko's feet and tried to use the same technology that the Geckos used to walk on walls in order to create adhesives. It makes me wonder, if we would be able to create all-natural adhesives that can be recycled or environmentally friendly using these nanotechnology. Seeing that waste production is becoming a big problem, it would be great if we could use nanotechnology in order to decrease waste. It's surprising to see that we're at a stage where we're able to imitate what is found in nature and incorporate it to make our lives easier.

Middle: Gecko's feet; Right: fabric inspired by Gecko's fee

Lastly, I also thought it was amazing that nanotechnology was used in stained glass. I've always wondered how stained glass created all the different colors. It was interesting to see that it was a result of nanoparticles interacting with the light in different ways. Considering that stained glasses have been around for centuries, it makes me wonder if artists in the olden days knew about this? I guess Professor Gimzewski did mention that people started learning more about nanoparticles only after the creation of the new microscope so artists in the olden days probably were not aware of this. But then how were they able to create the stained glasses without knowing which glass would create which color?

Aidan. Clothing. Digital image. WT Vox. N.p., 14 June 2016. Web. 17 May 2017.

Gimzewski, Jim, and Victoria Vesna. "The Nanomeme Syndrome: Blurring of Fact & Fiction in the Construction of a New Science." Victoria Vesna UCLA. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 May 2017.

Nanotech Jim. Dir. Uconlineprogram. Perf. Jim Gimzewski. Youtube. N.p., 21 May 2012. Web. 17 May 2017.

"Nanotechnology." History. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 May 2017.

You, Jia. "Gecko-inspired Adhesives Allow People to Climb Walls." Science | AAAS. N.p., 12 Jan. 2016. Web. 18 May 2017.