Week 2: The Microscopic World: Corn, Labs, Tether, & Taiwan’s Chips

Alvaro Azcarraga was our guest speaker for Tuesday and he introduced us to the world of corn and grains. Azcarraga introduced us to the milpa system which is "a traditional agricultural system in which maize is intercropped with other species, such as common beans, faba beans, squashes, or potatoes” (Lopez-Ridaura). This system is also known as The Three Sisters and has been used throughout history by various indigenous tribes in North America.  

 

Additionally, Azcarraga gave the class various seeds of corn to plant on campus as an activity. We were to document the process of planting these seeds and review the activity as it grows throughout time. I picked out the GE-Free Zapatista Corn Seeds (White) and these seeds come from an organization called School for Chiapas and “by planting corn donated by Zapatista farming families, [the planter] becomes a part of the global effort to preserve a vital genetic heritage that has evolved over thousands of years” (School for Chiapas).

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On Thursday, we had the opportunity to meet Professor James Gimzewsk and see Alison Hiltner’s work. Upon seeing Hiltner’s work, I was intrigued with what I was seeing as the object in front of me was very uncanny. The object in front of me was encased in an acrylic shell and had these tentacles that pulsated. It almost reminded me of sea anemone or something that was in a sci-fi horror game. 

 

However, upon explanation of the meaning behind the work, I was amazed by the ability to touch someone’s heart and it was a very intimate action to touch the person’s heartbeat as it pulsated throughout my fingertips. Hiltner describes her work “became a portal to touching the untouchable, our heartbeat can be felt but only superficially not the power of it pulsating in between our fingers” (Hiltner).

 

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During our talk with Professor James Gimzewsk, Professor Gimzewsk discussed the importance and history of the micro world. One thing I found interesting that tied into our prior trip to the microscope labs was why all labs are in the basement of the building. Nanotechnology is so vast and can be applied to anything; such as our teeth!

 

We have dentinal tubules which are “small, hollow microscopic channels that travel from the inside of the tooth (where the pulp is) out through the dentin, ending right beneath the enamel” (Colgate). Dentinal tubules create sensitivity to coldness for some people since the holes are connected to nerves. Colgate created a “magic paste” that fills up the dentinal tubules so people can have reduced sensitivity in their teeth. 

 

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Another interesting fact that Professor Gimzewsk discussed was Taiwan and the production of a high level chip that is used in the production of iPhones. The production of this chip and the nanotechnology of it is too complex and expensive for the US to make and thus mainly Taiwan makes this chip (South Korea also manufactures this chip however not to the extent as Taiwan does). What I found interesting was the politics surrounding this chip. Professor Gimzewsk discussed how China cannot really take over Taiwan or else the production of these chips will be hindered and since Taiwan is the main supplier of these chips to countries such as China and the US. This makes Taiwan a very important country as it “each year nearly a third of the new computing power we rely on is fabricated in Taiwan” (Miller).

I did not know how deep and complicated nanotechnology can get and how it is tied with countries getting into war and world politics.

 

Work Cited

“GMO-Free Zapatista Seed Corn.” Schools for Chiapas, https://schoolsforchiapas.org/store/coffee-corn-and-agricultural/gmo-free-zapatista-seed-corn/. 

Hitlner, Alison. “Tethers Part 3.” Tethers Part 3 - Alison Hiltner, https://alisonhiltner.com/Tethers-Part-3. 

Lopez-Ridaura, Santiago, et al. “Maize Intercropping in the Milpa System. Diversity, Extent and Importance for Nutritional Security in the Western Highlands of Guatemala.” Nature News, Nature Publishing Group, 12 Feb. 2021, https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-021-82784-2. 

Miller, Chris, and Chip War: The Fight for the World's Most Critical Technology. “The Chips That Make Taiwan the Center of the World.” Time, Time, 5 Oct. 2022, https://time.com/6219318/tsmc-taiwan-the-center-of-the-world/. 

“What Are Dentin Tubules?” Colgate®, https://www.colgate.com/en-us/oral-health/mouth-and-teeth-anatomy/what-are-dentin-tubules#.