Prior to this week's material, my general notion of nanotechnology was largely influenced by pop culture today. Specifically, my understanding was was shaped by movies such as the movies in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. In Black Panther, Shuri creates a suit for T'Challa, the Black Panther, which is stored in his necklace. In his necklace resides nanobots which weave their way across his body to form his suit when activated (Bacon, 2018). This same technology is seen later in Avengers: Infinity War when Iron Man activates a nanobot suit not only for him, but Spider-Man as well. Though these examples may not be rooted in reality, I think it is interesting to see just how fantastical and futuristic this concept is often depicted despite its ancient origins.
Though the term "nanotechnology" was coined by Professor Norio Taniguchi, its conceptual origins comes from Richard Freyman's lecture "There's Plenty of Room at the Bottom". However, the use of nanotechnology, more specifically nanoparticles (sized between 100 and 1 nanometers), can be seen as far back as the 4th century with the Lycurgus Cup. Though the existence of nanoparticles during this time had not been acknowledged, nanosized gold was used to turn the green cup, red when illuminated.
Nanotechnology can also be found in nature and in medicine. In nature, it can be seen in the Blue Morpho Butterfly. Not only is this butterfly known for how large it is with wings spanning anywhere from five to eight inches, ut is also known for its iridescent blue wings. This color is the result of the wing's nanostructure which consists of a Christmas tree-like structure. Here, light is being manipulated on the nanoscale. In medicine, it can be seen in pharmaceuticals used to treat patients with cancer such as Abraxane. Here, nanoparticles are used to target specific tumors
Works Cited
Bacon, Thomas. “Every Piece Of Black Panther’s Armor And Tech Explained.” Wikipedia, https://n.com/black-panther-armor-wakanda-tech-explained/. Accessed 20 May 2022.
Gimzewski, James K., director. “Nanotech for Artists Part 1 - Dr. Gimzewski.”
Gimzewski, James K., director. “Nanotech for Artists Part 3 - Dr. Gimzewski.”
Gimzewski, James K., director. “Nanotech for Artists Part 4 - Dr. Gimzewski.”
Gimzewski, James K., director. “Nanotech for Artists Part 5 - Dr. Gimzewski.”
Work Cited (Media)
Castleson, Linda. “Blue Morpho Butterfly • Earth.com.” Earth.com, 9 November 2021, https://www.earth.com/image/blue-morpho-butterfly/. Accessed 20 May 2022.
Marvel Universe Entertainment. Avengers: Infinity War (2018) - "It's Nano Tech" | Movie Clip. 24 October 2018. YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CjpXj2BqJBY.
Raffensperger, Lisa. “Ancient Romans' Color-Changing Goblet Was Feat of Nanotechnology.” Discover Magazine, 29 August 2013, https://www.discovermagazine.com/the-sciences/ancient-romans-color-changing-goblet-was-feat-of-nanotechnology. Accessed 20 May 2022.
Vejai. BLACK PANTHER New Suit Scene | HD Video. 7 June 2018. YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L1-NnvbPqMI.
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