"Nano-bottles", by Wei Wu

The image (click on it to view a larger size) depicts two nano-bottles made of photoresist. Both of them are yellow color coded, and the liquid in the bottles are made by using different intensities of colors. The two nano-bottles are produced by a novel nanolithography technique based on micro-/nano-spheres on photoresist. More details about the research can be found in the following papers: W. Wu et al, Nanotechnology, vol. 18 (48), pp. 485302, 2007, and W. Wu et al J. Vac. Sci. Technol. B, vol. 26 (5), pp. 1745, 2008.

Wei Wu is a PhD candidate and research assistant at Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Department of Northwestern University. Wu led different research on novel nanolithography technique, electrically tunable nanodot/nanowire detectors, and plasmonic enhanced quantum well detectors, and published more than 20 professional journal and conference papers.

Click on the image to see the video

The coming era of nanotechnology has become increasingly essential to current scientific and futurist thought. Small scaled devices called nanobots will one day be put into the body and respond to our biological systems, truly binding the organic and synthetic nature of our bodies. These nanobots may help us ward off diseases, enhance our memories, reduce signs of aging, increase physical dexterity and perform a wide range of other tasks.

NanoResponse incorporates the sound from Generative Behaviors. These are musical compositions composed by the computer that are ever-changing and require no assistance from the human creator once fundamental elements are set and the system begins to extrapolate them. This begs the question of the notion of artistic merit being granted to a work generated by the computer. Who is the creator?

The graphic element of the work involves a responsive nanobot. By listening to and interpolating the audio levels of Generative Behaviors the nanobot limits and expands its range as instructed by the audio output. The response given to the audio replicates the behavior a Microbivore [nanobot white blood cells] would perform in your body when you become ill. Likewise, a Respirocyte [nanobot red blood cells] can aid in the transportation of oxygen and carbon dioxide throughout the body. If, for instance, you suffer from carbon monoxide poisoning in a fire, Respirocytes would release into your blood stream to jump-start your system.

Nanotechnology will alter our concept of what it means to be human. NanoResponse suggests that we should not fear these developments, but embrace them.

Patrick Millard is an artist who originates from the small Western Michigan town of Lamont and now lives in Grand Rapids, Michigan. His work in photography, painting, mixed media, sound and installation has resulted in a diversified portfolio that addresses ideas about media, culture, technology and the interactions that human beings have within their own synthetic environment. His work has been exhibited nationally and internationally and continues to gain recognition. He is one of the TOP 10 artists at the 4th edition of NanoArt 2009-2010 International Online Competition organized by NanoArt21. 48 artists from 15 countries submitted 154 works at this event.

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“Implantable silicon-based devices have the potential to serve as tools for mapping and treating epileptic seizures, providing more precise control over deep brain stimulation, as well as other neurological applications,” says Story Landis, PhD, director of the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, which provided support for the study. The team tested the new devices – made of nanoscale, flexible ribbons of silicon embedded with 288 electrodes, forming a lattice-like array of hundreds of connections – on the heart of a porcine animal model. The tissue-hugging shape allows for measuring electrical activity with greater resolution in time and space. The new device can also operate when immersed in the body’s salty fluids. The devices can collect large amounts of data from the body, at high speed. This allowed the researchers to map electrical activity on the heart of the large animal…   read more

Piezoelectric nanogenerators to harvest energy from motion

Based on arrays containing as many as 20,000 zinc oxide nanowires in each nanogenerator, the devices can produce up to 1.2 volts of output voltage, and are fabricated with a chemical process designed to facilitate low-cost manufacture on flexible substrates. Tests done with nearly one thousand nanogenerators – which have no mechanical moving parts – showed that they can be operated over time without loss of generating capacity…   read more

Functional nanomaterials for medical devices

“Atomic layer deposition is a technique that can be used to create thin films for coating metals or ceramics, and is especially useful for coating complex nanoscale structures,” says Dr. Roger Narayan, the paper’s lead author. “This paper shows how atomic layer deposition can be used to create biologically functional materials, such as materials that have antibacterial properties”…   read more

Berkeley Scientists Report Universal Method for Creating Nanoscale Composites

Researchers at Berkeley Lab’s Molecular Foundry, in collaboration with researcher at the University of California, Berkeley, have shown how nanocomposites with desired properties can be designed and fabricated by first assembling nanocrystals and nanorods coated with short organic molecules, called ligands. These ligands are then replaced with clusters of metal chalcogenides, such as copper sulfide. As a result, the clusters link to the nanocrystal or nanorod building blocks and help create a stable nanocomposite…   read more

Cris Orfescu was born in Romania and has a strong science background common for so many from the former Eastern Bloc. But he is also a self taught artist and that part of him has blossomed since he immigrated to Los Angeles. He blends science and art in what he calls NanoArt. Orfescu provides high-resolution electron scans of nanosculptures he creates and structures occurring naturally, and encourages artists to alter the images and create even more new NanoArt.

I am the author of an upcoming book, The New Polymath, which features nanotechnology. A polymath is Greek for a Renaissance person like Leonardo Da Vinci or Ben Franklin, good at many disciplines. The New Polymath, in my book, is an enterprise which amalgamates 3,5,10 strands of infotech, biotech, nanotech, cleantech, healthtech to create innovative new solutions. I am a former Gartner analyst and write an innovation blog which catalogs over 40 categories of technology from mobile computing to genetics. I had been aware of Orfescu’s NanoArt festivals and thought it would be appreciative to include his work in the section on nanotech.

I have another chapter which imagines all the hundreds of innovators profiled in the book brought together at a conference in Italy. And, as in the movie Field of Dreams, 10 Polymaths from history show up at the conference, and Michelangelo shows interest in nanoart.

Indeed the book ends as follows:

In another realm, Michelangelo looked down and saw the Piazza della Signoria grow more crowded with tourists, and he turned his attention back to reinterpreting David in nanoart. Then he sighed that six centuries later he still had to worry about new masterpieces Leonardo might create in this new art form.

My book comes out in June from John Wiley and Co. You can preorder now at Amazon. Also, you can see on-going excerpts on the Facebook page and the LinkedIn group for the book.

Invigorating as NanoArt is, I think you will enjoy reading about other innovators in corporate labs and also in places you may not expect much innovation – in the farms of Ireland, the streets of Estonia, the hills of Macedonia and the backroads of Rwanda.

"NanoWeb 3" - nanosculpture by Orfescu

Global market for nanotechnology incorporated in manufactured goods will worth US$ 1.6 Trillion in 2013

In coming years, products based on nanotechnology will have a huge impact on nearly all-industrial sectors and will enter the consumer market in large quantities. Considering the future prospects of nanotechnology, countries across the world are investing heavily in this sector to reap maximum benefits from it…   read more

The world’s smallest superconductor

Superconducting materials have an electrical resistance of zero, and so can carry large electrical currents without power dissipation or heat generation. Superconductivity was first discovered in 1911, and until recently, was considered a macroscopic phenomenon. The current finding suggests, however, that it exists at the molecular scale, which opens up a novel route for studying this phenomenon…   read more

Lab-on-a-chip: “Virtual Electrowetting Channels”

Microfluidic devices typically depend upon electrokinetic or traditional pressure methods to move microscopic amounts of fluid around a fixed microchip. UC engineering researchers create tiny pools without walls with programmable microfluidic systems…   read more

Gold nanoparticles help researchers detect melamine in milk

Melamine is the compound found in contaminated pet food and in tainted dairy products from China in 2007 and 2008 respectively. The laced dairy products were responsible for sickening thousands of people, especially children. Monitoring melamine-tainted products continues to be a worldwide concern. This study develops a facile and accurate approach towards detection of melamine utilizing gold nanoparticles and a dual color and precipitation test. The complete detection methodology is completed in less than 15 minutes…   read more

Carbon nanostructures – good or bad?

A Los Alamos National Laboratory toxicologist and a multidisciplinary team of researchers have documented potential cellular damage from “fullerenes”—soccer-ball-shaped, cage-like molecules composed of 60 carbon atoms. The team also noted that this particular type of damage might hold hope for treatment of Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, or even cancer…   read more

"Molecular Zoo", nanosculpture by Orfescu

Bellow are transcripts from the EuroNaonoForum website. The event was hosted at Prague Congress Centre (Czech Republic).

“There have been several events aiming to build a bridge between the World of Art, Science and Public in the area of Nanotechnologies during the conference. First of all, the accompanying program was set up to, as well as other things, mediate the latest high technologies that are produced by the current science in the area of nanotechnologies to the public – using artistic devices. The project was aimed to mirror the scientific field through the unlimited visual language of art and also, shall we say in a rather subtle way – viceversa. ”

“We were hosting an artwork exhibition of fourteen gifted artists from literally all around the globe. Main contribution came from Cris Orfescu, an American based in California, who is an author, producer, coordinator and evaluator of the annually held online competition NanoArt 21 which started back in 2006 and 2009 is going to be a fourth one in a row. It is certainly the first and most probably still the only online competition/exhibition/festival on NanoArt as such. (For more visit the exhibition slide show here). Orfescu himself says he considers NanoArt to be an appealing and very effective way to communicate a reflection and usage of the latest technological and social movements with and within general public as well as plain informing about the technologies of the 21st Century. You had a chance to see 20 masterpieces of Cristian Orfescu at the EuroNanoForum 2009.
As outlined above, thanks to Cris Orfescu’s kind cooperation we could also present some of the competitors of the above mentioned contest. Namely: Bjoern Daempfling, Carol Cooper, Darcy Lewis, David Derr, David Hylton, Eva Lewarne, Fred Marinello, Chris Robinson, Philip Brun del Re, Renata Spiazzi, Teja Krasek, Ursula Freer.
Last but not least, we were having a very fruitful and nice cooperation with our crucial media partner: “NANO – the Magazine for Small Science”, thanks to which, we got to know a very interesting textile artist and scientist Dr. Frances Geesin, whose artworks you were sure to meet at the conference.
We would like to thank all the artists and especially Cris Orfescu as well as our media partner “NANO – the Magazine for Small Science” for the great cooperation.”

"NanoFlower", nanosculpture by Cris Orfescu

The NanoArtK12 (TM) program has been launched by NanoArt21 in collaboration with The Nanotechnology Group. The purpose of this worldwide program is to support the education of the new generations of artists and scientists and to promote the art-science-technology intersections and NanoArt for a better youth development. Please read about NanoArt here.

Before you start your NanoArt project, we suggest you download the Nanoscience Interactive Learning Module for NanoArtK12TM Program prepared by Judith LightFeather, founder of The Nanotechnology Group. You will find plenty of nano-related information by following the links. Also, you could click on these links to read about Nanotechnology and NanoArt. And if you would like to have more fun while you are learning about nanotechnology click on these links to play the games NanoQuest and NanoPool. You must have Adobe Shockwave installed on your computer to be able to play the games. You can install it for free if you click here.

Did you hear about the Texas teacher who was helping one of her kindergarten students put on his cowboy boots?
He asked for help and she could see why..
Even with her pulling and him pushing, the little boots still didn’t want to go on. By the time they got the second boot on, she had worked up a sweat.
She almost cried when the little boy said, ‘Teacher, they’re on the wrong feet.’ She looked, and sure enough, they were. It wasn’t any easier pulling the boots off than it was putting them on. She managed to keep her cool as together they worked to get the boots back on, this time on the right feet…
He then announced, ‘These aren’t my boots.’
She bit her tongue rather than get right in his face and scream, ‘Why didn’t you say so?’ like she wanted to. Once again, she struggled to help him pull the ill-fitting boots off his little feet. No sooner had they gotten the boots off when he said, ‘They’re my brother’s boots. My mom made me wear ‘em.’
Now she didn’t know if she should laugh or cry. But, she mustered up what grace and courage she had left to wrestle the boots on his feet again.
Helping him into his coat, she asked, ‘Now, where are your mittens?’
He said, ‘I stuffed ‘em in the toes of my boots.’

She will be eligible for parole in three years.

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Joke courtesy of amazingjokes.com

"Stretching the Limits 1", nanosculpture by Orfescu

The NanoArt 2009 – 2010 International Exhibition featuring 154 artworks submitted by 48 artists representing 16 countries is now officially open. A record number of works related to Nanoscience and Nanotechnology are displayed in the NanoArt21 Online Gallery. All artworks were submitted to the 4th edition of the NanoArt International Online Competition. I noticed at this time a triple record number of participation in artworks as well as artists and countries. This is a good indication of the amplitude of the NanoArt movement and the major progress made by this new art discipline in the last few years.

The worldwide competition NanoArt International Online is open every year to all artists 18 years and older. The judges for this edition are:
Dr. Pilar Irala (PhD, History of Art), world renowned photographer, expert on contemporary art, photography, and new technologies, and member of the International Association of Art Critics; apart from her activity as international photographer, Art critic and curator, she is currently Professor of Photography and Contemporary Art at San Jorge University (Spain) and co-director of the contemporary photography and music ensemble animAMusicae.
Guillermo Muñoz, physicist and PhD candidate in Photonics working in the field of Nanotechnology at Material Science Institute of Valencia University (Spain); he is part of the ‘Piratas de la Ciencia’ science communication group and is working as moderator for the international Art and Science network ‘Yasmin’; recently, he curated the NanoArt exhibition ‘Nanoconfluencias: miradas artísticas hacia lo infinitamente pequeño’.

The Top 10 artists will be presented in a multimedia work by Cris Orfescu on NanoArt21 site (you can still view the last edition winners on this site). Also, the winners of the competition will be invited to the 3rd edition of the International Festival of NanoArt to be held in San Sebastian, Spain, in September this year. The first two editions of the festival were held in Finland and Germany.