Humorous Primer on Nanotechnology

25 March 2007

Nanotechnology is a science that can certainly be challenging to understand at times, and so it’s welcome to find a gentle refresher to this subject such as the humorous primer from the University of California Berkeley entitled, “When things get small.” First shown over the UCTV cable channel, the video can now be seen online and provides users with an entertaining introduction to Nanotechnology using a variety of comparative and visual metaphors to break the subject down in an easy to understand manner. The film is 30 minutes in length and has garnered numerous awards and nominations.

The film introduces Nanotechnology by explaining the dimensions of the Nano-scale, using the metaphor of a baseball park and a bag of peanuts to establish relative sizes. From this easy introduction to the subject the film then explores more complex topics as Quantum Tunneling, or the ability to make electrons “go through walls”, in effect a thin layer of atoms. From here the host discusses Small Magnetic Dots, the ability to manipulate matter at the Nano-scale to create patterns with meaningful arrangements, and discusses manipulating materials like PMMA—the same material used in Plexiglas—and how it can be altered using Nanotechnology.

The highlight of the film is the discussion of Magnetism, and a humorous, mad-capped scientist is feverishly working inside a laboratory to create the world’s smallest magnet, a Nano-magnet. The host continually uses illustrative metaphors, such as comparing an elephant to a peanut, to explain the relative size dimensions. We are made to understand the technical challenges involved in creating this Nano—Magnet (which to date does not exist), such as changing the spinning orientation of electrons to ensure that they point consistently in the same direction.

If you’ve not seen the film, you can do by clicking on the following link: http://www.ucsd.tv/getsmall. It’s guaranteed to tickle your funny bone while making the subject of Nanotechnology easy to understand.

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