The lectures today focused on how nanotechnology could be used in subjects other than scientific engineering. Two examples the different teachers gave were the stem cell research, and silver nanoparticles.
When they were talking about how they can grow cell sheets to cover up holes in organs, I started thinking of the movie iRobot I watched the night before. The left half of his body was part robot due to an accident he experienced in the past. His mechanical arm gave him the power to fight off an evil robot, though the robot did peel off a part of the fake skin covering the fake arm. When he got home, he used a spray to renew the skin. The spray can looked like a regular spray paint can, but as he sprayed his arm, the fake skin began to regenerate and when he flexed, the skin shifted in synch with his movement. This would be the futuristic version of the stem cell research today.
In lecture the teacher talked about how the cell sheet can only be separated from the base at lower temperatures and how the sheets can be used to patch up holes in organs. Then she pulled up the pictures of how tissue of the heart beats by itself as long as it is given nutrients. And then she explained that different heart tissues stacked on top of each other will eventually beat in synch even if they start off different.
The other topic was related to nature. Silver nanoparticles can help keep things clean and fresh since they kill bacteria. People of the past even used the nanoparticles in their daily instruments, ranging from clothes to silverware. However, the downside of using these silver nanoparticles is that they are not selective; they will kill any bacteria they come in contact with. If the silver nanoparticles are washed away from items and into the ocean or any other big bodies of water, the nanoparticles will end up killing all the good bacteria that help us and our environment.
http://www.allaboutpopularissues.org/pros-and-cons-of-stem-cell-research.htm
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/stem-cell-transplant/MY00089
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090601110403.htm
http://www.nanowerk.com/spotlight/spotid=5966.php
http://www.physorg.com/news124376552.html
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