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I agree with the call for caution regarding nanotech safety in general. Firstly, as a technical nitpick, osmosis by definition is the diffusion of water across

I agree with the call for caution regarding nanotech safety in general. Firstly, as a technical nitpick, osmosis by definition is the diffusion of water across semi-permeable membranes. Stuff that is not water cannot move by osmosis. What you are worried about is stuff like the coating being able to just diffuse through your skin. That said, having trawled through the companies literature [1], they actually only claim micron scale particles. For reference, your cells are typically 70-100 microns in diameter, so these particles are still comparatively huge. They are likely larger than most bacteria you will see. Furthermore, since they are both hydro and fat phobic, they'd almost certainly have a very hard time diffusing your your skin, since your live cells have membranes made of (basically) fat, and then enclose a space that is mostly water. [1] http://www.spillcontainment.com/sites/default/files/FDA%20and%20USDA%20approvals%2010-1-12.pdf http://www.spillcontainment.com/sites/default/files/FDA%20an...

danhodgins 14y ago
Excellent points, and well explained. People who are smarter and more knowledgeable than I are certainly better qualified to put context around the significance of nano-tech. Regardless, It seems as though we are at or near a new nano-technology frontier. I confess to knowing absolutely zero about it, but I also think the possibilities are fascinating, and worthy of both tremendous skepticism and awe at the same time.
- yannis 14y ago
  It is a better approach when one knows nothing of a subject to rather ask questions than make statements (bordering on sensationalism). I don't disagree that one needs to be skeptical.
yakiv 14y ago
From Wikipedia: "Osmosis is the net movement of solvent molecules through a partially permeable membrane into a region of higher solute concentration, in order to equalize the solute concentrations on the two sides." (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osmosis http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osmosis) From dictionary.com: " the tendency of a fluid, usually water, to pass through a semipermeable membrane into a solution where the solvent concentration is higher, thus equalizing the concentrations of materials on either side of the membrane." (http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/osmosis?s=t http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/osmosis?s=t) Wouldn't that include solvents other than water?
- icegreentea 14y ago
  Yes, you're correct. That said, in biological systems, water as the solvent is pretty much a given.
- djacobs 14y ago
  Nanoparticles would be the solute in this case. (If a foreign substance, and not water, were the solvent, you'd have problems regardless of how tiny the solent's particles were.)
- addlepate 14y ago
  It's a race to see who can be more pedantic than the last!

danhodgins 14y ago

Excellent points, and well explained. People who are smarter and more knowledgeable than I are certainly better qualified to put context around the significance of nano-tech. Regardless, It seems as though we are at or near a new nano-technology frontier. I confess to knowing absolutely zero about it, but I also think the possibilities are fascinating, and worthy of both tremendous skepticism and awe at the same time.

yannis 14y ago
It is a better approach when one knows nothing of a subject to rather ask questions than make statements (bordering on sensationalism). I don't disagree that one needs to be skeptical.

yakiv 14y ago

From Wikipedia: "Osmosis is the net movement of solvent molecules through a partially permeable membrane into a region of higher solute concentration, in order to equalize the solute concentrations on the two sides." (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osmosis http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osmosis) From dictionary.com: " the tendency of a fluid, usually water, to pass through a semipermeable membrane into a solution where the solvent concentration is higher, thus equalizing the concentrations of materials on either side of the membrane." (http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/osmosis?s=t http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/osmosis?s=t) Wouldn't that include solvents other than water?

icegreentea 14y ago
Yes, you're correct. That said, in biological systems, water as the solvent is pretty much a given.
djacobs 14y ago
Nanoparticles would be the solute in this case. (If a foreign substance, and not water, were the solvent, you'd have problems regardless of how tiny the solent's particles were.)
addlepate 14y ago
It's a race to see who can be more pedantic than the last!