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Scientist Creates Microscopic Obama Portraits

by Tim Stevens on November 17, 2008 at 11:00 AM

Scientist Creates Microscopic Obama Portraits
Barack Obama has made quite a stir since winning the election two weeks ago. He's promising change, big change, and with Democrats taking control of the House and Senate, he should have all the tools he needs to deliver it. His promises may be big, but Assistant Professor John Hart at the University of Michigan is highlighting his persona in something very, very small, by creating a series of microscopic portraits he calls "nanobamas."

Hart works at the Department of Mechanical Engineering, where research into carbon nanotubes is performed. Nanotubes were used to create the portraits, each about a half-millimeter across. The portraits are so small that an electron microscope is needed to photograph them.

Carbon nanotubes are a super-material that promise to let us to do everything from climb buildings to take an elevator into space. This particular use is rather less practical, but Hart's hope was that creating these nanobamas would increase awareness for his field of research. But, with the current economic downturn, the ongoing war in Iraq, and dozens of other crises facing the President-to-be, we think it's going to take something a little...bigger to capture his attention. [From: Science Daily]

Tags: barack obama, BarackObama, carbon nanotubes, CarbonNanotubes, elections, nanobama, nanotech, nanotechnology, obama, politics, weird

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