week 8

I though that this week’s topic was mind-blowing. It is crazy how small the particles are that the scientists and artists are working with and crazier is what they can do with them. Paul Rothemund for example described his DNA folding where synthetic DNAs are added to single strands of DNA and then folded into rectangular shapes. He could get fifty billion little smiley faces in one drop of water, and little particles that are one-thousandth the width of human hair. Rothemund keeps talking about how anybody can work with the DNA and do DNA origami, which was even crazier to me. Anybody can make DNA origami and artwork, like a map of the United States or spell your own name.

Rothemund

DNA origami smiley faces

Molecular technology is the next step in technological advancements because it continues to grow exponentially. The amount of DNA being sequenced has continually increased each year. Ray Kurzweil predicts that in twenty-five years our cell phones will be the size of a blood cell but more powerful because that is the current trend of technology. Professor Vesna also discusses how nanotechnology is shifting the paradigm that moves us into the twenty first century.

Kurzweil

Nanotechnology being applied to solar panels is helping us to create more energy. With nanotechnology we are finding new methodologies as well as reinventing old ones. Nanotechnology can also be applied to food and agriculture, but has led to some issues with the public regarding health and environmental safety.

Solar panels that use nanotechnology

Works Cited

"Art in the Age of Nanotechnology." Art.base. N.p., 11 Mar. 2010. Web. 23 May 2015.

Kurzweil, Ray. ""A University for the Coming Singularity"" Ray Kurzweil: A University for the Coming Singularity. TED Talks, Feb. 2009. Web. 23 May 2015.

"Nanotechnology in Agriculture." Nanotechnology in Agriculture. Nanowerk, 25 Aug. 2014. Web. 23 May 2015.

Rothemund, Paul. ""DNA Folding, in Detail"" Paul Rothemund: DNA Folding, in Detail. TED Talks, Feb. 2008. Web. 23 May 2015.

Vesna, Victoria, and James Gimzewski. "Nanotechnology and Art." Nanotechnology and Art. UCLA, Los Angeles. 23 May 2015. Lecture.