The Twinkie Guide to
Nanotechnology is an entertaining new video featuring scientist Andrew
Maynard which mixes the iconic American snack cake with humor to unlock the
mysteries of nanotechnology.
Maynard serves up the complexities of nanoscience in enticing,
digestible, bite-size morsels. It is a friendly, funny, 25-minute travel
guide to the technology that promises to ignite the next industrial
revolution. In the video, Maynard shows products that use nanotechnology
today. And he travels into the future to demonstrate how nanotechnology
will change virtually everything -- in medicine, energy, materials, travel
and electronics.
Nanotechnology is the ability to measure, see, manipulate and
manufacture things usually between 1 and 100 nanometers. A nanometer is one
billionth of a meter. A human hair is roughly 100,000 nanometers wide.
One of the hardest concepts to convey about nanotechnology is the
unbelievably small scale. "Putting a nanoparticle on a Twinkie is
comparable in scale to putting a Twinkie on the moon," said Dr. Maynard.
"It is difficult for people to imagine gold, silver, carbon or platinum the
size of one nanometer. Without a microscope, the human eye cannot see
anything below 10,000 nanometers."
The Twinkie Guide to Nanotechnology - http://www.nanotechproject.org/141 -
also can be found at the website for ConsumersTalkNano:
http://www.webdialogues.net/pen/consumer.
ConsumersTalkNano is an exciting online discussion taking place over
two days, October 23-24, 2007. The Project has collaborated with Consumers
Union, publishers of Consumer Reports, in an effort to jumpstart a
conversation with consumers about the possible benefits and risks of
nanotechnology.
Any interested member of the public will be able to communicate online
throughout the two days (October 23-24) with panelists from the Project,
Consumers Union and others. The dialogue is free but participants must
register at http://www.webdialogues.net/pen/consumer.
The website provides more details about ConsumersTalkNano,
nanotechnology, nano-enabled consumer products, and related safety
questions.
Nanotechnology
According to Lux Research, nanotechnology was incorporated into more
than $50 billion in manufactured goods in 2006. By 2014, a projected $2.6
trillion in global manufactured goods will incorporate nanotech, or about
15 percent of total output.
The Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies is an initiative launched by
the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars and The Pew Charitable
Trusts in 2005. It is dedicated to helping business, government and the
public anticipate and manage possible health and environmental implications
of nanotechnology.
