Although speculation about the existence of the atom dates back to ancient Greece, it was only a little over twenty years ago that humans were able to “see” one for the first time. This was made possible with the development of the so-called scanning microscope, which “feels” atoms on a surface like a blind person feels objects around them. Shortly thereafter, this type of microscope was used to manipulate atoms, that is, to capture an atom and place it back in another location. This discovery led to the possibility of assembling complex structures from their basic constituents, atoms, just as nature has done randomly for billions of years, and inaugurated the so-called nanosciences and nanotechnologies.<\/p>\n
Speaker:<\/strong> Professor Marcos Assun\u00e7\u00e3o Pimenta, Institute of Exact Sciences, UFMG.
\nDiscussant:<\/strong> Professor Eduardo da Motta e Albuquerque, School of Economic Sciences, UFMG.<\/p>\n