Nanoscale - How small is small?

How Small Is Small? 

The Nanoscale Explained in One Chart

At a certain point, very small is just very small—at least to the naked eye. 

But on the nanoscale, much smaller than the width of a human hair, scientists 

are setting itty-bitty world records and creating tiny works of art.

Nano art has come a long way since researchers arranged atoms to spell IBM in 1989. 

The latest feat is Mini Lisa, a detailed grayscale version of the Mona Lisa on a canvas just 

32 microns across—one-third the width of a hair. 

The image was created with a new technique in which the heated tip of a powerful microscope 

controls the speed of a chemical reaction at each pixel: More heat produces a faster reaction 

and the lighter shade of gray. Below and to the left we show where the Mini Lisa fits on the 

nanoscale. The visualization compares 11 items, showing just how small each one is in 

comparison with the object above. 

* 1913 -- Bohr Model of the atom developed
** 1953 -- DNA's double helix discovered
*** 1971 -- First microprocessor (Intel 4004)
**** 1981 -- Invention of the scanning tunneling microscope 

Source: PopularMechanics.com