Nanotechnology focus of festival

Will a month-long festival of nanotechnology be a matter of science imitating art or art imitating science?

The lines between the two fields are about to become blurred as artists, scientists and a playwright take part in a celebration of the science of the extremely small and its potentially huge consequences.

Nanotechnology involves working with matter at scales of one-billionth of a metre – about 80,000 times smaller than the width of a human hair.

Canterbury University physicist and nanotechnologist Associate Professor Simon Brown said many people were perplexed by nanotechnology and the role New Zealand was playing in its development.

He said claims had been made that nanotechnology could solve the world's energy needs, cure cancer and eliminate poverty, but there were also concerns that nanoparticles might cause significant health and environmental problems.

Sponsored by the university and the MacDiarmid Institute for Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology, the festival will begin on August 11 with an exhibition of unusual nanotechnology images and of art inspired by the discipline.

"This is an attempt to allow the public to find out more and make up their own minds about all this stuff," Brown said.

"On one hand, you have an incredible amount of cool science happening, with huge potential for countries like New Zealand to genuinely become knowledge economies. But, on the other hand, there are legitimate concerns about a lot of the nanoproducts coming out; people in intimate contact with nanoparticles whose properties are not known in sunscreens, cosmetics, toothbrushes to washing machines, dressings."

IBM nanotechnology pioneer Don Eigler will give a lecture to high schools on August 31 and a public lecture on seeing and playing with atoms the next day.

On September 8, radio presenter Kim Hill will host "a big discussion about small things" that will feature views from scientists, business, Maori and government regulators.

For more details, go to http://www.canterbury.ac.nz/nanoevents/.

- © Fairfax NZ News