Nano+Bio+Art

All we did today was work on our project.  Our final presentation is tomorrow, and we want to be prepared for it so that we get a good grade.  Our presentation is on a device that allows the user to record their dreams and then project them onto a wall or other surface via a portable [...]

Today we learned about something that I was already interested in — optical illusions.  According to Wikipedia, optical illusions are “characterized by visually perceived images that differ from objective reality,” ( Wikipedia).  When we look at an optical illusion, our brain is essentially playing tricks on us.  It all starts when we see an object.  In order for [...]

We did several interesting things today, and I also learned a lot from these things.  First, we learned about molecular nanostructures , which are molecules that have been designed to work like machines. This molecular gearbox is a good example of a molecular nanostructure. These molecular nanostructures will then be used to create nanomachines, or machines that are [...]

We did a lot of things today.  In the morning, we had a lecture on biowaves, which is the connection between life and waves.  The first thing that we learned about is the relationship between humans and sound.   We perceive sound by detecting it using our eardrums.  The sound is then passed on to the bones [...]

Today was a day of field trips.  From the morning to sunset, we were out all around the Los Angeles area from the California Science Center to Santa Monica to Venice Beach . The California Science Center as viewed from the front. A scenic view of Venice Beach, CA. The trip to the California Science Center was the most interesting [...]

Our midterm presentations were today.  After a couple of hours of brainstorming and divvying up the presentation, we were finally ready to present.  Our concept was paint that could be painted onto a wall or used in paintings or other works of art that changes color in response to touch.  It incorporates both nanotechnology and art. [...]

Today we learned about light and the optical properties of materials.  All light is part of the electromagnetic spectrum , shown below, which consists of electromagnetic (light) waves at different wavelengths. The type of light that we see is called visible light , which is only a small part of the electromagnetic spectrum.  White light consists of all colors of [...]

Today was a rather interesting day.  The first thing that we learned about were  patterns in nature .  Patterns appear everywhere in nature, from animals, to plants, to landscapes, to single celled organisms.  These patterns enhance the beauty of nature and help us see nature from a different perspective.  Patterns in animals are often used for camouflage, to [...]

My second day at NanoLab was awesome.  First, we learned about waves.   Waves can be defined differently depending on who you ask, although waves are usually defined as a disturbance that propagates through space and time.  There are different types of waves which include mechanical waves (which move through a medium), and electromagnetic waves (light).  Mechanical waves include sound and [...]