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The nano
message Prof Yash
Pal This Universe Trends DNA trawl shows long
history of castes Suspected Trojan war-era
couple found U.S. should watch for
animal disease |
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The nano message Nanotechnology
signifies a new emerging wave of science that explores the potential of reduced dimensions and small size. The prefix "nano" originated from a Greek word meaning "dwarf". Nanoscience denotes the science of objects which measure as low as a billionth of a meter. Hence, the technology of fabricating particles and devices in the nanoscale range is called nanotechnology. The diminished sizes of these nanomaterials make them versatile for varied applications in agriculture, pharmaceuticals, medicine, diagnosis, electronics, robotics, aerospace, environmental remediation, textiles etc.
Agriculture According to the 'United States Department of Agriculture Roadmap' (September 2003), nanotechnology holds tremendous potential to revolutionize the agriculture and food sector. This includes enhanced nutrient absorption by plants, thus increasing their nutritional value and use of smart nanodelivery systems employing herbicides and pesticides to fight plant pathogens. Yields can be improved by using nanoparticle formulations (100-250 nm size range) as they dissolve in water more effectively.
Foods Nanocapsules are gaining momentum as they can be incorporated into food to deliver nutrients, thus fulfilling the requirements of functional and interactive foods. One of the leading bakeries in Western Australia has successfully introduced nanocapsules filled with tuna fish oil which is a rich source of omega 3 fatty acids. These are designed to break open only on reaching the stomach, thus avoiding the unpleasant taste of fish oil.
Environment Playing a strategic role in environmental remediation, aluminium oxide nanofibres are being used as water purifiers to clean ground water, ponds and swimming pools. A research at the Centre for Biological and Environmental Nanotechnology, Houston, Texas has shown that nanoscale iron oxide particles are extremely effective at binding and removing arsenic, a major contaminant of ground water. Offering a solution to the massive problem of water pollution in countries like India and South Africa, nanofiltration technology is viewed as a lucrative sector of investment. The breakdown of toxic contaminants found in the effluents from landfills and industrial sites to simpler and less toxic carbon compounds can be achieved by the use of iron
nanoparticles.
Healthcare Research on targeted delivery of drugs to specific tissues and organs by means of nanoparticles has opened a whole new world of medicine called 'nanomedicine'. These nanostructures conjugated to anticancer drugs function by customised delivery of therapeutic agents to the desired area thus finding widespread applications in the field of cancer therapy. Tiny light emitting particles in the nanometer range called “quantum dots” have emerged as a more rapid and efficient mode of cancer detection. While the use of nanoparticles for detection and analysis of circulating tumour cells is a promising area of research, the use of nano wires and carbon nanotubes that act as biological sensors is also being studied.
Textiles The impact of nanotechnology can be seen in the cosmetic industry with companies using nanoparticles in their products such as anti-wrinkle cream. These nanoparticles are claimed to go deeper below the skin thus making them useful in sunscreens and anti-aging products. The textile industry has been redefined with nanotechnology playing a major role. Water resistant fabrics have been developed by incorporating 10 nm long nanowhiskers to cotton fibres. These hydrocarbon entities repel water making clothes waterproof. Latest advancements also include light weight bullet-proof vests and shirts using nanofibres, nanocomposites, nanodyeing and nano-finish for the production of improved fabrics with increased flexibility and strength.
Sensors The ability of nanotechnology to manipulate atoms, molecules or clusters of molecules to create structures displaying newer properties with specific utility has led to the development of nanosensors with faster and increased sensitivity. Carbon nanotubes commonly used in nanosensors enable them to trigger signals in response to target molecules such as chemicals, proteins and even bacteria. The incredible journey of science from bulk to nano has been extremely fascinating. Making headlines worldwide, the new Tata Nano car is based on the principle of “superior technology in a small size” and thus symbolizes that nanotechnology is the new era of science, conquering every sector from automobiles to aeronauticals. With its ever expanding horizon, the brighter future of nanotechnology is yet to unfold.
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This Universe In a famous book of physics I read that velocity of light was known to Indians in Vedic time. I doubt it. I have not seen any evidence of that. Famous books do not necessarily contain the truth. The celestial objects that we look at are observed because of rays of light being emitted by them. In certain cases we say that a particular celestial object is 100 light years far away. Does it mean that the image we look at now is 100 light years old? That is right. But we have no way knowing that the object even existed after that image was sent. That is the only image we can interact with now. It is old but for our world it is now. Why is the radiator in automobiles is known as radiator not convector, when heat is transferred through it mainly by convection. I agree with you. Perhaps it should be called
a convector. What is the difference between a moon and a natural satellite? In our solar system which planet has maximum number of moons and which has maximum number of satellites? Natural satellites of planets are generally called moons. That is the only difference. I do not remember the numbers but you can easily search the Net and get the number of satellites of Jupiter, Saturn and other planets. Readers wanting to ask Prof Yash Pal a question can e-mail him at palyash.pal@gmail.com
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Trends OSLO: Scientists are surprised at how extensively coastal ice in Antarctica and Greenland is thinning, according to a study Wednesday that could help predict rising sea levels linked to climate change. Analysis of millions of NASA satellite laser images showed the biggest loss of ice was caused by glaciers speeding up when they flowed into the sea, according to scientists at the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) and Bristol University.
DNA trawl shows long history of castes WASHINGTON: A genetic search of India's diverse populations shows most people have mixtures of European and ancient south Indian genes, and helps illustrate the deep roots of the country's caste system, researchers reported on Wednesday. It also shows that Indians, much like the Finns and European-origin Jews, may be susceptible to recessive genetic diseases, they report in the journal Nature.
Suspected Trojan war-era couple found ANKARA:
Archaeologists in the ancient city of Troy in Turkey have found the remains of a man and a woman believed to have died in 1,200 B.C., the time of the legendary war chronicled by Homer, a leading German professor said on Tuesday. Ernst Pernicka, a University of Tubingen professor of archaeometry who is leading excavations on the site in northwestern Turkey, said the bodies were found near a defense line within the city built in the late Bronze age.
U.S. should watch for animal disease WASHINGTON:
The United States needs to lead a global effort to protect people from new outbreaks of deadly infectious diseases that originate in animals, such as swine flu, AIDS and SARS, health experts said Tuesday. Air travel, climate change, population growth and rising demand for meat products from developing countries have accelerated the spread of "zoonotic" diseases, according to a panel set up by the Institute of Medicine and the National Research Council.
— Reuters
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