Extra Credit Event 1: Thinking Atoms

For my first extra credit event, I attended "Thinking Atoms" through Zoom. We started off thinking and talking about the complexity of atoms. It was interesting to hear from a professor in the chemistry department at UCLA to give their take on how we can think and explore atoms and nanotechnology (which was our topic last week, so it was nice to get more information!). 

(Space.com)

One speaker discussed a design to build a new atomic force microscope to show atomic resolution and silicone. Coming to some difficulties with building this microscope, the solution that they found together was to vibrate the tip to make it more stable to bond as they measured gravity waves. For a microscope to be able to see atoms, many people would argue that there is no possible way for this to happen, but knowing they were able to achieve seeing atoms through a microscope is fascinating to many viewers. 

Uncovering different techniques to see atoms created a new perspective and way for scientists and others to view atoms. One thing that really stuck with me was the Professor talking bout how it's "wrong to say we see atoms" but that there is a degree to how people can measure very fine features of these atoms that many people would think is impossible to see. The evaluation of this science is extremely fascinating, especially hearing from different professors in the field. I found it shocking when many people would laugh at the science of this rather than trust the science and how it works. 

(Physics Forums Insights)

(Scanning Tunneling Microscope)

Photos:

Klotz, Alex, and Alex KlotzPh.D. McGill. “Can We See an Atom? Latest Images of Atoms: Physics Forums.” Physics Forums Insights, 8 May 2023, www.physicsforums.com/insights/can-see-atom/.

“Seeing Atoms.” Science Learning Hub, www.sciencelearn.org.nz/resources/1652-seeing-atoms.

Kramer, Miriam. “IBM Warps Atoms into Crazy ‘Star Trek’ Art.” Space.Com, 3 May 2013, www.space.com/20951-star-trek-ibm-atom-art.html.


Sources:

Klotz, Alex, and Alex KlotzPh.D. McGill. “Can We See an Atom? Latest Images of Atoms: Physics Forums.” Physics Forums Insights, 8 May 2023, www.physicsforums.com/insights/can-see-atom/.

Lee, Chris. “Atomic Telescope Brings Atoms to Standstill.” Ars Technica, 25 May 2015, arstechnica.com/science/2015/05/atomic-telescope-brings-atoms-to-standstill/.

Smolin, Lee. “Atoms of Space and Time.” Scientific American, 1 Feb. 2006, www.scientificamerican.com/article/atoms-of-space-and-time-2006-02/.


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