Researchers at Osaka University have come up with a pen that “writes” at the atomic level. The folks at sci-fi/technology site Technovelgy, who paid to read the full article at Science Magazine, say “The process replaces individual atoms of tin with silicon”. Plus they cite Bladerunner.
So, I don’t know about you, but I’m thinking: How would that be useful in conservation work? Can it use other elements? Can we use it for lead-white conversion? Careful placement of chelators? Do I have to wait 50 years to get one? Will there be an i-pen version? Could we use the drawing tools in GIMP? 0h – and we could sign our work in super secret ways, and future historians would write dissertations on the evolution of binder’s tickets, macro to micro.
Ooooh. Who knows the power of the pen?
Beth Heller Conservation LLC 