11 and up

This interactive zoom, inspired by Eames "Powers of Ten," allows visitors to travel from the familiar scale of their hand down to DNA deep within a cell. This zoom is designed as a stand-alone visitor experience, or to be used as part of a presentation to orient visitors to the size of the nanoscale. You must follow the instructions included with the files to install the Adobe Air application! Please "Download All Files (zip)" and read the instructions first. The resource tab links are also a necessary part of the process in order to run the application directly on your computer.

This poster features an illustration of a computer chip across ten orders of magnitude, from the computer chip to the atoms of which it is made. Using the conventions of visual perspective the image travels in one continuous “landscape” from the human scale at the top to the atomic scale in the foreground. The illustration is also available without annotation as an image, banner, or poster, and also appears on the "Everything is Made of Atoms" Poster with other parallel zooms into the human bloodstream and butterfly wing.

This illustration shows a butterfly's wing across ten orders of magnitude, from the butterfly to the atoms of which it is made. Using the conventions of visual perspective the image travels in one continuous “landscape” from the human scale at the top to the atomic scale in the foreground. Placing objects from the butterfly's wing in one frame clarifies connections between components, highlighting the system’s reliance on structures at very different scales. This version of the image is a poster with annotated text explaining the different objects in the image, but it is also available as a poster without annotations, a banner or a graphic file, and also appears on the "Everything is Made of Atoms" Poster with other parallel zooms into the human bloodstream and a computer chip.

This illustration shows the circulatory system across 10 orders of magnitude. Using the conventions of visual perspective the image travels in one continuous “landscape” from the human scale at the top to the atomic scale in the foreground. Placing objects from the circulatory system in one frame clarifies the connections between components, highlighting the system’s reliance on structures at very different scales. This illustration won the NSF/Science Magazine Visualization Challenge in 2008. This illustration is available as a poster with annotated text, a banner, a poster without annotations or a graphic file, and also appears on the "Everything is Made of Atoms" Poster with other parallel zooms into a butterfly wing and a computer chip.

Scale ladders are diagrams that can quickly convey the size of the nanoscale by showing how objects are related by size. Using existing research on understanding size and scale, the Visualization Laboratory carried out a series of experiments to develop effective scale ladders as well as guidelines for their design and use. This diagram can be dropped as is into an exhibition graphic or used as a template and adapted for different content or graphical contexts. To inform designers wishing to build a different scale ladder, guidelines gleaned from the research are also made available separately.

This is a stage presentation, designed for audiences of 11 and up, intended to give a broad overview and introduction to the subject of nanotechnology. The talk attempts to answer three basic questions about nanotech: How is It New, What Can It Do, and Do You Care?

This cart demonstration reviews the basics about nanotechnology. Visitors learn that nanoscale objects are very small and have surprising properties because of their size. They also learn about some of the possible technologies that may lead to. They mix chemicals, turn potatoes black, generate electricity, and see invisible light in their exploration.

"Treating Tumors with Gold" presents promising research being conducted at Rice University in Texas. Through videos and demonstrations, the program considers the following questions: What is a tumor and what causes it to spread? What is a gold nanoshell and how does it kill tumor cells? What does the future hold for targeted cancer therapies?

“Nanostained Glass” is a classroom activity that has three parts: a presentation, a lab activity and an art activity. During the presentation, students are introduced to the connections between art and science, with a focus on the connection between stained glass and nanotechnology. Students also learn that gold and silver behave differently at the nanoscale. During the lab activity, students synthesize nanoparticles of gold and silver. Lastly, students use the nanoparticle solutions they synthesized to create a stained “glass” window to take home with them.

Visitors see how nanomaterials are able to form tiny structures called nanoscaffolds that help the body repair damaged muscle, bone, and nerve tissues. In the interactive, an injured nerve is unable to communicate messages. After injecting nanoparticles, visitors can watch as the nerve endings grow back together, and sensory messages are once again able to reach the brain.