Click here to visit the Beauty Brains blog.
Welcome to the new Forum. Please feel free to start a new discussion.
What do you think of Nanotechnology?
  • Left BrainLeft Brain
    Midbrain put up a story today about Nanotechnology and how the FDA doesn't see it as a problem for cosmetics.

    Of course there are lots of groups like the EWG who would disagree. There are even some who see nanotechnology leading to the end of civilization in a thing called the Grey goo hypothesis.

    I was just curious how the other Beauty Brains out there feel about nanotechnology. Do you like it? hate it? afraid of it? are clueless about it? What do you think? Inquiring brains want to know...:neutral:
  • KarenKaren
    The information at the two links was interesting. The whole grey goo thing reminds me of the plot of Michael Crichton's book "Prey" where nanotechnology evolves to a point where it becomes completely out of control and wreaks havoc as a swarm of mini robot-like machines at the molecular level. The use of nanotechnology doesn't scare me in cosmetics but it sure did in Crichton's book! Fiction, no doubt, but it still makes you think about what could happen.
  • TailFeatherTailFeather
    I really had no idea about it in cosmetics or what they're doing with any such goo. [goes off to read articles]

    Oh. Interesting. Whenever nanotechnology is mentioned I always think of high-powered electron microscopes, tiny chips and other things like that.

    Isn't this akin to "angel dusting" in products? I mean really, doesn't "nano" mean something like near or below the atomic level?

    I don't know. I think if the world's population can inhale as much aspartame and other hard-to-digest fake sugars and over processed foods and be okay with that, than what's the big deal here?
  • taiwanesegurltaiwanesegurl
    hahaha.. when I think of nanotechnology I think of viruses, bacteria, and peptide bombs..
  • TailFeatherTailFeather
    Oooh, so they're what's responsible for the intestinal tango after I drink apple juice? Peptide bomb is right... :p
  • Left BrainLeft Brain
    For the most part Nanotechnology is just an "angel dusting" trick in cosmetics. You sprinkle a little in the formula and then call it out on the label.

    But for things like sunscreen it helps make it more invisible so the UV blocker doesn't create white marks all over your skin. The nanotechnology in these things are nanoparticles. Essentially, they just take the titanium dioxide or zinc oxide and make particles about 100 nm (really small) so they can't reflect light that can be seen by the human eye.

    I think nanomachines could be really cool for cosmetics. Imagine tiny, invisible robots applied to your face that go around cleaning off the dirt and oil, battling skin mites, viruses & bacteria, while emitting colors that make you look great. This is the far-off future and may never happen, but it's fun to imagine.
  • PurpleRulesPurpleRules
    I have to admit that things like this always make me nervous. I'm a big fan of technicological breakthroughs but there's so much that we don't know (we tend to forget that; not a good thing) that science can't fully anticipate the effects something like this will have. I'm reminded of when the Victorians first started canning food stuffs. It seemed like the solution to so many problems -- and, in fact, it was -- but there was so much they didn't understand (botulism, lead poisoning) that many, many people died or were harmed while they perfected the process. I want to reap the benefits of nanotechnology but don't want to be a victim of some unforeseen consequence.

    For the record, I don't want to be a victim of the "intestinal tango" either.
  • Left BrainLeft Brain
    You're wise to be cautious about new technologies. Fortunately, those lessons from yesteryear have been learned and ideas get tested much more thoroughly. Although, there are still problems even with testing as evidenced by recent recalls of "thoroughly tested" drugs. I just encourage people to have an open mind. Things made by humans aren't automatically unsafe and dangerous.

    And some risks are worth taking. Cars, for example, literally kill thousands of people a year. We could save lives by banning them. However, would you really want to live in a world without them?
  • TailFeatherTailFeather
    LOL...I swear Purple, you're comments always make me crack up...To avoid the dreaded intestinal tango, don't drink more than 4 ounces of apple juice at a time. ;)

    I think we should use caution before usinganything produced for humans, to be ingested or used topically, but I agree, not everything is going to automatically be bad.

    I like Left's tiny robot ideas. But, don't we need skin mites to help eat our sloughing skin so we don't all end up looking like mummies?

    Regarding cars and nanobots, I'd like ones that come with any kind of liquor purchased and crawl into the brain while people are drinking. If they try to drive, the 'bots emit a high, piercing sound, vertigo, blindness, and temporary full-body paralysis.
  • catecate
    Or the bots just take over and drive for us when we drink goodness that can turn bad after one or two...
  • TailFeatherTailFeather
    Yeah, that's a good idea too. I was thinking more of the people who refuse to not drive after drinking a sixpack-or two. And the second and third offender DUI's.

    Really, if we're playing around her with what kinds of nanobots we'd like(and why not?), I want some that process all the extra fat in my body so I pee it out! lol And some that tighten my chest muscles to make me perkier.

    And how about some that live all through my house and computers and eat up the cobwebs, dog hair, human hair and skin, and other pieces of dirt and dust so I don't have to drag out the damned canister vacuum and hit myself in the ankles-again. Oooo, and some to live in the bathroom eating up all the soap scum off the shower walls.
  • Left BrainLeft Brain
    It might not take nanotechnology for this one. Here's a story of Nissan producing an anti-drunk driving concept car.

    You're right, skin mites are good for picking off the dead bits of skin. I was thinking the nanobots could be programmed to know the good microbes from the bad ones.
  • TailFeatherTailFeather
    I heard about that concept car a while ago. The commenters after the article make some really good points.

    I'd LOVE bots to help clear out my lungs when I get a chest cold. After 5 days hacking and heaving to breathe, I'm exhausted and in pain.
  • JudyJudy
    I live in the SF Bay Area where NANO is HUGE! Though I have never been exactly sure what it means besides REALLY REALLY SMALL I know that venture capitalists love it.

    Remember the line from the movie The Graduate where the guy tells Dustin Hoffman "I have only one thing to say to you...PLASTICS?" Now there are two words that are on everyone's lips in Silicon Valley "NANO" and "GREEN".
  • PurpleRulesPurpleRules
    Okay, if someone can come up with nanos that will clear out my lungs when I have a cold or clean my shower, then I'm totally on board. Bring forth the nanos, I say!
Add a Comment