I have a compelling reason for you to watch Canada AM tomorrow morning. And the reason is Clint Landrock.

Clint Landrock makes small things that are having a huge impact at Simon Fraser University, in Vancouver and beyond. Not only is Clint married to friend of the ‘Boot, Erica Landrock, but his work with Nanotech Security Corp. is catching peoples’ attention within this big community that works with very small things.

Says SFU’s Public Relations department: “Imagine a hole so small that air can’t go through it, or a hole so small it can trap a single wavelength of light. Nanotech Security Corp., with the help of Simon Fraser University researchers, is using this type of nano-technology – 1,500 times thinner than a human hair and first of its kind in the world – to create unique anti-counterfeiting security features. The technology is first being applied to banknotes but it also has many more practical applications, such as authenticating legal documents, retail merchandise, concert tickets, stock certificates, visas, passports, and pharmaceuticals.”

Here is how it works:

Microscopic gratings composed of nanostructures interact with light to produce the shimmering iridescence seen on the Costa Rican morpho butterfly. The nanostructures act to reflect and refract light waves to produce the morpho’s signature blue wings and absorb other unwanted light.

The highly advanced wing structures are the result of many millennia of evolution, and only recently have Nanotech’s scientists discovered how to reproduce these structures reliably. While others have talked about the possibility of re-creating it, Nanotech has made this a reality.

Aside from being just a downright cool indication of human innovation and, quite possibly, a hopeful idea about the future of the planet, I really love the biomimicry of this invention. The company’s Nano-Optic Technology for Enhanced Security (NOtES) product stems from an idea originating in the purest form of nature – insects using colorful markings to identify themselves. Sometimes animals just have the best ideas. Human communities learning from ecosystems within our natural environment is a true reflection of how inventors like Clint might just be able to save our planet. No pressure though…

If you’d like to learn more about this supercool product you can check out The Province, Tech News World, Daily Planet, or visit Nanotech’s website.

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