Nature & Nano Technology
Duration: 4 to 8 hours
Target Audience: Anyone who is interested in science, life, joy, nature and the cosmos
Brief:
Fundamentals and principles of nanotechnology will be covered (self-assembly, hierarchy, bottom-up approach, massive parallelism, self-healing, self-repair) with illustrations.
In the recent years, many research fields have been spawned by scientists and engineers to explore, understand, and mimic Nature’s design and Her manufacturing prowess. For instance, engineers are working hard at nanotechnology in labs with a goal to manipulate materials at the microscopic levels. Tools such as Scanning Tunneling Microscope (STM, for which physics Nobel prize was awarded in 1986), Atomic Force Microscopy, Magnetic Force Microscopy, Laser Spectroscopy, X-ray Lithography, Blue-lasers are enabling engineers probe deeper into the tiniest objects and create new solutions and products of the nano-scale. However, the first use of the distinguishing concepts of ‘nanotechnology’ (but predating use of that name) was in “ There's Plenty of Room at the Bottom ”, a talk given by physicist Nobel Laureate Richard Feynman at an American Physical Society meeting at Caltech on December 29, 1959. Feynman described a process by which the ability to manipulate individual atoms and molecules might be developed, using one set of precise tools to build and operate another proportionally smaller set, so on down to the needed scale. In the course of this, he noted, scaling issues would arise from the changing magnitude of various physical phenomena: gravity would become less important, surface tension and “Van der Waal” forces would become more important, etc. This basic idea appears feasible, and exponential assembly enhanced by parallelism facilitates manufacturing of useful end-products. The term “nanotechnology” was defined by Tokyo Science University professor Norio Taniguchi in a 1974 research paper as: “’Nano-technology’ mainly consists of the processing of, separation, consolidation, and deformation of materials by one atom or by one molecule” .
In the recent years, many research fields have been spawned by scientists and engineers to explore, understand, and mimic Nature’s design and Her manufacturing prowess. For instance, engineers are working hard at nanotechnology in labs with a goal to manipulate materials at the microscopic levels. Tools such as Scanning Tunneling Microscope (STM, for which physics Nobel prize was awarded in 1986), Atomic Force Microscopy, Magnetic Force Microscopy, Laser Spectroscopy, X-ray Lithography, Blue-lasers are enabling engineers probe deeper into the tiniest objects and create new solutions and products of the nano-scale. However, the first use of the distinguishing concepts of ‘nanotechnology’ (but predating use of that name) was in “ There's Plenty of Room at the Bottom ”, a talk given by physicist Nobel Laureate Richard Feynman at an American Physical Society meeting at Caltech on December 29, 1959. Feynman described a process by which the ability to manipulate individual atoms and molecules might be developed, using one set of precise tools to build and operate another proportionally smaller set, so on down to the needed scale. In the course of this, he noted, scaling issues would arise from the changing magnitude of various physical phenomena: gravity would become less important, surface tension and “Van der Waal” forces would become more important, etc. This basic idea appears feasible, and exponential assembly enhanced by parallelism facilitates manufacturing of useful end-products. The term “nanotechnology” was defined by Tokyo Science University professor Norio Taniguchi in a 1974 research paper as: “’Nano-technology’ mainly consists of the processing of, separation, consolidation, and deformation of materials by one atom or by one molecule” .
To make nanotechnology practical, one may need teams consisting of atomic scientists, molecular biologists, genetic engineers, mathematicians, computer scientists, mechanical engineers, electrical engineers, chemical engineers, instrumentation engineers, physicists, physicians, neuro scientists, cardiologists, and even economists. In the present times, ‘nanotechnology’ is one of the best examples to illustrate the concept of “convergence of technologies”. Again, ‘nanotechnology’ is not a single field of research, but a smorgasbord of technologies. Under its grand umbrella, it has many research areas such as nano-materials, nano-machines, nano-manufacturing, nano-lithography, nano-sensors, nano-circuits, nano-robotics, nano-fuels, nano-batteries, nano-medicine, nano-ethics (social issues of nanotechnology) each field with its own ambitious research agenda. It is forecasted that it will take atleast another five decades to experience the products of these technologies. Fifty years elapsed since Feynman first mooted this idea. It’s been more than 20 years since STM was invented (by which individual atoms could be manipulated), with no significant end-products in sight. Alas, Nature doesn’t lend its secrets that easily and that quickly! But, patience and persistence will pay off! Nature’s delays are not denials.
I have attended a 3-day workshop on nanotechnology at Boston in 2009. I also visited nanotechnology center at the IISc (Indian Institution of Science), Bangalore and James Watt Nano-fabrication Center at Glasgow University. I will draw upon these experiences and knowledge.
I have attended a 3-day workshop on nanotechnology at Boston in 2009. I also visited nanotechnology center at the IISc (Indian Institution of Science), Bangalore and James Watt Nano-fabrication Center at Glasgow University. I will draw upon these experiences and knowledge.
Outline of Lecture
This lecture will cover technologies related to motors, locomotion, food production, information storage and processing, repair, maintenance, recycling, emotions, aesthetics for the purpose of comparing human designs with Nature’s designs. The most advanced technologies of today are only primitive when compared to Nature’s. This lecture will prove one point: “All human science and technology, even the state-of-the-art, is only a pale imitation of Nature’s technologies” .
