Geeks Show Nanopatriotism

TUESDAY JULY 4 2006 1:00 PM

Submitted by WilWheaton. Edited By WilWheaton.

TAGS: nanotechnology

While students of history lamented the sorry state of our Republic this Fourth of July, students of nanotechnology celebrated all things tiny and patriotic by making an American flag so small, it would take ten of them to equal the width of one human hair.

The image of the flag -- complete with all 50 stars and 13 stripes -- is 7 microns tall, compared to the 100-micron width of a human hair. It was transferred onto a silicon wafer using a machine that follows the shape of any bitmap image file. The flag and its pole were cut using an ion beam -- a microscopic version of a laser -- and lifted to a standing position by a nano manipulator.

[. . .]

Jeon and Foresca spent months working on the U.S. flag and a Texas flag even smaller -- 4 microns.

The nanopatrionerds' achievement was rejected by the Guinness Book of World Records, apparently because the Guinness people couldn't see the world's smallest flag. The students plan to resubmit, in the category Most Ironically Denied Submission.

9 Comments

eomar

United Kingdom

July 2005

JUL 04, 2006 01:44 PM

I Love that kind of stuff. so utterly pointless, so bloody cool

on the other hand it means were one step closer to grey goo.

2006 "geeks make ikkle flag"

2007 "geeks destroy earth."

w00t

DhD_No_Pants

Katy, TX

May 2006

JUL 04, 2006 01:58 PM

I love that they also made a Texas flag.

Does technology ever just scare the living shit out of anyone else here? Not because it is in itself harmful, but it is simply so bizarre that you can't really get a good grasp on it?
I really hate like I'm the only one wearing a soft helmet here.

WilWheaton

Los Angeles, CA

June 2005

JUL 04, 2006 02:18 PM

terry said:
I Love that kind of stuff. so utterly pointless, so bloody cool

According to TFA, the creators intend the nano manipulator for use on superconductors. This was just a stunt as a proof of concept.

_Elichrusos

Australia

November 2004

JUL 04, 2006 02:28 PM

WilWheaton said:
While students of history lamented the sorry state of our Republic this Fourth of July, students of nanotechnology celebrated all things tiny and patriotic by making an American flag so small, it would take ten of them to equal the width of one human hair.

I love science.