A vision of the nanoscale

摘要

On the bookshelves of my childhood, I remember science encyclopaedias that were filled with images of natural and synthesized wonders. No modern shelf should be without titles that chart todays exploration of sciences outer limits. But whereas hoards of glossy books have been published on astronomy, for example, the small world has been shyer to emerge. Perhaps this is partly because nano-science, like postmodern art, seems to demand a lengthy explanation of what we are viewing-but at the expense of an unmediated experience.