Video

Michael Faraday and nanotechnology

Professor Richard Haverkamp of Massey University gives an introduction to how the famous 19th century scientist Michael Faraday made an early step towards nanoscience.

Transcript

Dr Richard Haverkamp

People have done nanotechnology for centuries, and its only recently that some of that area is being recognised as nanotechnology. But its also that there’s new techniques that are available that weren't available in the past. So there are genuinely quite big advances in nanotechnology that weren't available before. But one thing I quite liked is Michael Faraday who was around a couple of centuries ago, and he made nano-particles of gold, and he recognised they were tiny little particles of gold, so you could say he was one of the early nanotechnologists. That was before the term nanotechnology was invented.

Rights: The University of Waikato Te Whare Wānanga o Waikato
Published:30 May 2008