Nanotechnology for the Masses -No, We’re NOT Kidding
January 30th, 2010 // 1:31 am @ admin
Image by Swami Stream via Flickr
Unless you have been living on a deserted island for the past few years you have no doubt heard the media report on the impending promise that lies in the realm of nanotechnology. The problem is if you are like most people, you probably don’t really understand what that means exactly. A new and relatively cheap science kit has been introduced to the market that offers to bridge the gap between this revolutionary science and our own limited understanding of it. But wait just a minute. Lets get back to nanotechnology.
Never before has there been one specific field of science that offers to change so many different scientific disciplines. In the medical field scientists believe that within the next decade they will be able create a blood filter using this technology that will have the capability of trapping cancer cells that are flowing through the blood of a human being. In the computing industry scientist speculate that will be able to create a computer chip that will have the ability to transfer information at the speed of light. In the battery industry they believe that they will be able to create a battery that will last more than ten times longer than the lithium ion batteries that are currently available. In the solar industry scientists believe they will be able to improve the efficiency of thin solar cells exponentially. It’s enough to leave the common man gasping for breath. That cheap science kit should start sounding fairly promising right about now.
The kit, which is comprised of extremely uniform silica nanoparticles dispersed in a simple solution, goes a long way in demonstrating the power that lies in the nano-realm. After the solution is emptied into a test tube the silica begins to self assemble, one of the most important and mind blowing attributes of all nano related sciences. As the silica self assembles a photonic crystal is formed over the course of a couple weeks which offers the participant a rare look into what scientists refer to as structural color. Both of these examples created by the experiment illuminate two of the phenomena found in nanotechnology. Although the specific applications that will be employed to change the world using this technology are significantly more complex than what the kit demonstrates, it the perfect introduction to this science for students young and old.
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Category : Blog & Science Kits