Scribner Seminar Program
2006-2007 Titles
The Molecular Frontier
Instructor(s): Steven Frey, Chemistry
Description: One of the things that separates us from all earlier generations is this,
we have seen our atoms” [Karl K. Darrow in The Renaissance of Physics]. Not only have
we seen atoms, we have learned to manipulate them individually. This remarkable achievement
has changed the way that scientists think about matter and opened the door to the
possibility of constructing materials and machines on the smallest scale possible.
What will these molecular constructs do for us? Will they revolutionize the fields
of medicine, computing, and manufacturing? Students in this seminar will consider
these questions and others, through readings, laboratory exercises, and field trips,
as we explore the development of nanotechnology and dream about its impact on our
future. Students will also confront and debate ethical, political, and economic issues
that will ultimately drive and influence the direction of this revolution in science.
