The Globe delves into the nanoworld
An exhibition on nanotechnology is to open in the Globe on 19 September.
"Why can’t we write the entire 24 volumes of the Encyclopaedia Britannica on the head of a pin? The principles of physics, as far as I can see, do not speak against the possibility of manoeuvring things atom by atom". Over 45 years ago, with these words, the visionary Nobel-Prize-winning physicist Richard Feynman foresaw the progress in miniaturisation that would drive the manipulation of tiny objects into the realms of nanotechnology.
An interactive exhibition entitled "Expo Nano, Technology Takes on a New Dimension" is to open in the Globe of Science and Innovation on 19 September, offering visitors the chance to delve into the world of nanotechnologies, discover their numerous applications and weigh up the ethical questions they raise, as well as getting to know the laws of physics that govern the world of atoms and finding out about the new tools scientists use to see and manipulate the invisible.
Nanotechnologies are the set of theories and techniques that allow tiny objects 10,000 times finer than a human hair, measuring around a billionth of a metre (nanometre = 10-9 metres), to be produced and manipulated. Extremely high-precision tools are needed to move atoms one by one and glimpse what happens at this tiny scale. Nanotechnologies open up vast fields of application, especially in the fields of biotechnology, materials, and information and communication technologies.
Due to its "invisibility" and the special rules that govern it, which are different from the laws dominating the world on our scale and each and every one of us, we cannot see the nanoworld using our normal sensory perceptions. The exhibition is designed to teach the public about the notions of scale, which are of particular relevance to CERN as it studies even smaller dimensions, protons measuring some 10-15 metres. The exhibition also tackles the controversies raised by nanotechnologies, offering different points of view on the various issues surrounding them. "This exhibition is perfectly in keeping with the aims of the Globe, i.e. the sharing of knowledge and making the public aware of the challenges that science and technology pose for our society" says Bernard Pellequer, Head of Public Outreach.
The exhibition has been organised in conjunction with the CCSTI of Grenoble and Bordeaux and the Cité des Sciences et de l’Industrie of Paris.
