The whole trip

07.16.09 UCLA – Today is the last evening we will share with UCLA. I hope to return here later to continue learning once out of high school. The campus is one that is extremely welcoming. The proffesors are extremely intellegent and they all welcome student help and any question you might ever have. Overall this program has served me in an excelent college UCLA experiance while learning the simularties between art and science.6780_101995581397_691816397_2197876_594624_n

A project that really struck out at me was Johns project on waves. As we may not know why the waves create the patterns they do seen in Johns notes, still the srucure and the creativiy of the waves creates gorgeous designs that can eaisly be made into wonderful art as he had done so. Discovering he physics behind it too I’m sure was no easy feat.5654_101357637934_726097934_2056394_3137494_n

The plasma lab too was a art science concept. The ring of purple plasma ring that went around the plasma could be consdered a work of art if it ha been found  to serve no purpose. Luckly from that we learned florsenct light fictures and rain coats and many other great, yet random, products came from that device.

Another fun lab was the electron scanning microscope (SEM). Even though it was only a $60,000 device, the instant results, the quality, and the magnification of the microscope proved very fun for checking out hair at about a million times. Who knew the hair looks so broken and layered in a single strand. Also we saw a peice of skin which proved very interesting since it seemed  like we were viewing earth. Perhaps this might prove a very interesting art project for a scientist to present skin to a audience.

Another but not my last favorite experiment was the great magnetic lab with the ferrofluid. I know it was a hit so I hate to blog aout it. But I really like the simplistic idea of trapping the magneic paricals in a solution. Because this method of just trapping certain particals and keeping them contained will be the majorit of the nanotechnology to come for a decent amount of time. A great example is the nano silver particals they add to products. Its just containing the particals and then just simply adding them to a sellable proudct or medical necessity. zzzzzzzzzzzzzz

In all though, this camp was a great camp! The majority of the information I had learned here was information i didn’t even know exsisted. Such as shape and size of particals can determain colour. I definately had no clue that we were capable of creaing tempetures hotter then the sun. And how does the Getty restore art? Well, now i know. And the best part is none of this infomrmation i pointless or just to fill time. All of it was designed o peice together to help us considerbaly on our final. This camp has been truely splendid and I’d highly recommend it.

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080125210651AAZiHTy

http://www.chem4kids.com/files/matter_plasma.html

http://sims.ess.ucla.edu/nsf_facility/SEM_mainpage.php

http://www.getty.edu/conservation/science/herculaneum/herculaneum_images.html

http://artsci.ucla.edu/summer/

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today was the first of the three days i was out sick. The day began at 715, like most days, however, unlike most days, it ended 20 minutes later when I fell back to sleep unable to maintain consciousness. I spent the morning in my dorm room sleeping until around twelve forty five when I was informed that I would in fact have to see some form of medical personnel. I journeyed to the Ash center where they told me my visit would cost me upwards of 175 dollars. I left. My parents picked me up at hedrick hall. It would have been a leisurly drive home, if my dad had not been screaming about swine flu and the lack of preventative care in a college enviroment. this has nothing to do with either art or science. However when I arrived home I slept some more and when I awoke 5 hours later still under the mentally debilitating effects of tylenol pm I remembered I would have to write this blog. As a precaution I decided to view one of the science fiction movies we had chosen. Unfortunately I was severely hampered by the tylenol and I forgot which movie my classmates were watching back here. I ended up watching Akira. Akira is definitely the strangest movie i’ve ever seen. I gathered that its possible to gain psychic powers if and only if one is able to run over another psychic with a motorcycle. The most interesting part of the movie is when the main character looses control of his body and realizes his mistake I believe it reflects societies loss of control over science and where science might lead us. But I came up with this idea while hopped up on Tylenol so I could also be whacked out of my mind.

 

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Links:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akira_(film)

http://web.archive.org/web/*/http://akira2001.com/

http://www.bbakira.co.uk/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_Movie_Database

http://www.allmovie.com/work/1319

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LAST DAY :D

So today is the last day of the Nano Lab at UCLA! As I signed up for this program, I expected to be very out of place and that the concepts would be completely over my head. But in actuality, I felt really comfortable here. I really enjoyed the lectures where we learned about issues relevant to up-in-coming technology that people my age aren’t really aware of. The lecturers and teachers were really interesting and had a variety of backgrounds, which was nice to see.

Although6330_1106813947842_1151580060_30272288_4400197_n1 I enjoyed the academic insight gained on this 13-day course, I think the most interesting aspect of this trip was meeting other people with similar interests as me. It was really fun to get to meet people who are also dedicated to gaining as much knowledge as humanly possible and growing as human beings. It’s nice to meet people who are as committed to the same things as I am and working to collaborate with them.

Even though I was very impressed with this program, I have to say that I was incredibly exhausted. I’m not sure whether it was due to the sheer intensity of the subject matter, how closely packed together the activities were, or the distance between Hedrick Hall and CNSI, but this experience was fatiguing. I think it might have been better if we had been able to break up the lectures and activities in a different way somehow.

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Blog 8: 7/16/09

 

Jim

Professor Jim Gimzewski

Today was our last real day at the Sci|Art NanoLab Summer Institute. We mostly just worked on our “Imagine the Impossible” projects, which we are presenting tomorrow. However, this morning we had a quick lecture by Professor Jim Gimzewski, who had just returned from being inducted into the Royal Society. Professor Gimzewski talked about approaching and visualizing scientific ideas in an artistic fashion. He also pointed out that while knowledge is important, creativity and imagination are more important. In fact, these are what separate a good scientist from a bad scientist, according to Gimzewski. The lecture today highlighted what I see as the main idea of this program–– incorporating science into art and art into science.  They cannot stand alone.

 

 

Over the two weeks here, we have been learning about upcoming inventions, as well as coming up with our own inventions. A great idea is always good, but one must be aware of the negative effects it could have. This reminded me about an article I read called “EarthTalk: The Risks of Nanotech,” in which Dan Zeff wrote to EarthTalk voicing his concern that nanoparticles are being put into consumer products, but not enough research has been done on their potential impacts on health. Currently nanomaterials are not even regulated in the United States.

Does the lipstick you use contain nanoparticles?

Does the lipstick you use contain nanoparticles?

The lipstick you are using or the food you are eating could contain these materials and they might not even be safe. This idea brings me to my next topic of discussion, genetically modified foods, which one of Victoria Vesna’s students gave a demonstration on today.

Genetically modified strawberries

Genetically modified strawberries

 

 

 

After getting a little introduction and drinking juice that we pretended was made from genetically modified fruit, someone took a cheek swab and we looked at it under the microscope. In short, there are risks with genetically engineered foods, such as they are unsafe to consume, the genes let into nature cannot be taken back, and environmental hazards cannot be assessed. Who knows where the future with nanoparticles in consumer products and genetically modified food will go. I just hope there are not serious health implication by products already on the market. 

http://www.cnsi.ucla.edu/institution/personnel?personnel_id=113179

http://www.popsci.com/environment/article/2009-05/earthtalk-risks-nanotech

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1083102/The-beauty-creams-nanoparticles-poison-body.html

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=do-nanoparticles-in-food-pose-health-risk

http://www.celsias.com/article/genetically-modified-foods-unsafe-evidence-that-li/

http://www.ideaconnection.com/solutions/7098-Unsafe-genetically-modified-food.html

 

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LAST DAY!

So today is the last day of the sci | art nanotechnology summer program! It’s weird to think about the fact that after tomorrow, i will be leaving the place I’ve called home for two weeks. I’ve learned so much from this program, learned about so many relevant topics, and experienced hands-on so many technologies that most people have never even heard of. and i can definetly say that i was one of those people a couple of weeks ago. Now, because of sci | art, my way of thinking has completely changed and expanded. When I signed up for this program, I seriously doubted that there existed a legitimate connection between art and science. I just could not see how two things that seem so polar could actually coexist and even cooperate together to fit into this one program. After two whole weeks worth of lectures, labs, tours, and field trips, I cannot get their undeniable connectin out of my head. You need creative forces to progress science. We cannot solve the problems of the world with innovative solutions without be willing to think creatively and outside the box. Artistic means could also be used to present scientific principles in ways that text and lectures simply cannot.  Not only have I made the art science connection, but I have also opened my mind to accept things for more than what they first appear.

I will never forget the this experience, the people i’ve met, the things i’ve learned. Making our own ferrofluid, meditating in the anechoic chamber, examining my own hair on a nano-scale, and creating our own images with lithography. I loved the sci | art program!!!

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http://www.meyersound.com/products/technology/chamber.htm
http://www.eeweb.ee.ucla.edu/course_objectives.php?class=ee164L&squarter=20075&grad=0
http://artsci.ucla.edu/summer/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photolithography
https://www.memsnet.org/mems/processes/lithography.html

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Blog 1 Visualizing the Invisible

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By definition, nanotechnology is so small that the human eye cannot hope to visualize it without major help from the most advanced microscopes. During our lecture today, we learned about visualizing objects in the nanoscale. Because the wavelength of light is longer than a couple hundred nanometers, traditional light microscopes are not capable of picking up nanoscale objects. To do that, scientists require the help of expensive and powerful electron microscopes. These microscopes fire electrons, which have extremely short wavelengths that can even help to visualize atoms, at their targets and are able to produce ultra detailed images. Scanning electron microscopes are used to look at the outside of an object while transmission electron microscopes are used to peer deep into objects.

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Another device used to see objects with nanoscopic detail is the atomic force microscope, which technically isn’t a microscope at all. It is a sharp point, balance by gravity and van der waals forces, that is taken across an object, determining its shape after many sweeps. A metaphor for it is like a blind person feeling around for shapes.

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measurements for these devices need to be ultra precise so these machines float on a cushion of air to eliminate vibrations

Using the same mechanism, atomic force microscopes can be used to move around individual atoms

Using the same mechanism, atomic force microscopes can be used to move around individual atoms

Although optical microscopes cannot see nanosized objects they can be very useful in visualizing how nano sized particles move around, if the particles are coated with a florescent dye. Using different dyes, one can distinguish which particles traveled to which specific part in biological organisms

http://www.patentstorm.us/patents/6268222/claims.html

http://www.mos.org/sln/SEM/

http://nobelprize.org/educational_games/physics/microscopes/tem/index.html

http://www.nanoscience.com/education/AFM.html

http://nobelprize.org/educational_games/physics/microscopes/fluorescence/index.html

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Ji-7/16/09

img_1494I had a unique experience at Sci|Art. From living in doors, to performing experiments,  and even the people, I have gained a lot of indescrible knowledge by attending this program-it all went by so fast.  My perspective of the science did not change, nor did it change for the arts, but rather  I was able to gain an understanding of how other perceived science and art. Whatever way it is that we perceive science and art to be, there will never be a solid “proper” perception, but its how we share our views with others in order to better our lives and help develop our world.

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One of my favorite things we during the program was the plasma lab. As I said in a previous blog, I have an interest in this area. On the other hand, my least favorite part were the lectures. Although I did find the information in the lectures to be very appealing, it would actually take a while for some speakers to jump straight to the point. That or some of the details just felt boring which eventually led to my naps.

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My favorite lectures within the program were the talks about space-time and dimensions, sound,  and although it was not a lecture I found the video on string theory to be a extraordinary and it gave me a start jump of see what the program would be like. Overall, I found Sci|Art to be a wonderful experience and I thank all the instructors, counselors, and students for making it such a good time.

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Blog 1

` Todays lectures and presentations were my first experiences into the wolrd of non-elementary microscopy. I had seen pictures taken by all the different microscopes shown to the group but had never really thought about or had any interest in the devises. The microscope that interests me the most is the Scanning Electron Microscope because it can take the most precise images. The reason it can take such precise images is because it uses a beam of electrons instead of light, which is the method employed by traditional microscopes. The electrons have a smaller wavelength than light letting it focus on a smaller probe. The guy who presented them SEM was pretty cool. He splashed around liquid nitrogen from his 5 million dollar freezing machine onto the floor. He also showed us how it worked. I forgot how quickly it had to freeze things so that crystals don’t form but it was very fast. After that we went into the room with the microscope. A student was in there looking at a cell sample. The picture of the cell he was looking at wasn’t very exciting to me, but to him it apparently meant something. I suppose I am just not learned enough for such academic feats.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scanning_electron_microscope

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Two-photon_excitation_microscopy

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microscopy

http://www.ebsstore.com/product.aspx?pid=853

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liquid_nitrogen

twophotonsmall5cnsi2767px-cholera_bacteria_sem

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Ji-7/15/09

Today was the most relaxed day of the program. I forgot what the daily introduction was about because I fell asleep. However, I was awake for the lecture about sound which I found fascinating.  I found it interesting how some substances responded to the sound vibrations.

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After the lecture our group got together and started brainstorming some ideas of how our nano image thing would work. The basic concept is taking the idea of opal, but using nanobots instead. The reason we are not using any actual opal material is because the color variation is only limited to a certain amount considering opal can only take a color based on how it diffracts light. However, with nanobots we are able to manipulate specifically how the bots absorb, reflect, and defract light allowing us produce just about any possible color. The nanobots can be projected on any surface and ill be controlled via a remote or radio-like signal. However, required to power them is not yet clear, but we are planning to use some ATP production.

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By the time we thought of most of our project, it was our groups turn to enter the Anechoic chamber. This was a nice little experience. My favorite part was the silence, just because I personally like the occasional silent times after hearing a lot of noise. I also liked the fence thing we stood on because it did not reflect energy the same way concrete did and so the two together created a relaxed scene.  And of course the tap trick in pitch black darkness was pretty cool; the way it glowed when pulled.

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http://www.acoustics.salford.ac.uk/facilities/?content=anechoic

http://gemstone.org/gem-by-gem/english/opal.html

http://ioannis.virtualcomposer2000.com/spectroscope/

http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/sound/soucon.html

http://www.podcomplex.com/guide/physics.html

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Approaching the End…

As we approach the end of our two-week summer program, I’d like to recap some of the events that occured. When I came into this program, I felt extremlook_around_youely lost. Especially after the first lecture, my mind started to fly off somewhere else, as I couldn’t grasp concepts of what we were doing or learning. However, as the days progressed and I got to learn the instructors on a more personal level, it seemed as if every day what the instructors were trying to convey became clearer. Additionally, those “Look Around You” films definetely helped me grasp the concept of science! (Especially that film on ghosts). This program truly taught me to never say something is impossible. We were taabababaught, and demonstrated on things that we had never thought of possible. And, it made me realize that in the past, no one would’ve thought an automobile or a televion to be possible. One of the “impossible” things I learned of was the ferrofluids, which thoroughly amazed me. At a more personal level, I feel like I’ve known everyone for years. Everyone constantly runs and visits other people to socialize, or blog together down the hall in a large group. Although it’s been only two weeks, any stranger would say that all of us have known each other for a long time. I find it disappointing how we will all be spread out to different parts of the country after this, but we will definetely keep in touch. This summer experience was amazing.sun-cartoon1

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