FRS 003 — Sec. 003 — (1 unit) — CRN 92634 — M 3:10-4:00 pm — 2130 Bainer
Nanotechnology – Promise and Problems

Instructor: Ian Kennedy, Department of Mechanical & Aeronautical Engineering, College of Engineering

Description: The engineering of devices and processes on the nano or molecular scale promises to lead to a new range of technologies that can allow us to make new materials with unusual properties, sense our environment (internal and external to ourselves), and repair damage within our bodies, among many other examples. A large amount of research funding is being funneled into this field of research. Some skeptics believe that the level of support is excessive, and that nanotechnology (like biotechnology) harbors the seeds of risk to humans. This course will introduce nanotechnologies at a rudimentary level, and will seek to engage students in a consideration of the benefits and the risks.

Format: The seminar will meet for one hour each week. Each meeting will consist of an introductory lecture, followed by group discussion and individual presentations based on reading assignments. Students will be assigned topics on which to make presentations during the quarter. Each student will prepare a final report on the potential benefits and risks of nanotechnology, and popular perception of this new area. The following books will be required: "Understanding Nanotechnology", Scientific American, ISBN: 0446679569 (2002). "Prey: A Novel" Michael Crichton, Harper Collins (2002). In addition, resources on the web shall be used frequently during the course. Grading: Students shall be evaluated on their in class presentations of their assessment of reading assignments. In addition, each student shall be required to prepare a written report on a topic assigned by the instructor. The final grade for the course shall be determined by the presentations in class (50%), and by the written reports required during the quarter (50%).

About the Instructor: Professor Kennedy is in the Department of Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering. He has been engaged in research in the synthesis of nanoscale materials for many years. He is interested in their interactions with biological systems, including the health effects of inhaling ultrafine particles, and the application of nanoscale particles as labels in biosensors.