Reports from NanoDays 2008

We have been giving a series of demonstrations related to nanoscience at ECHO Science Center (Burlington, Vermont). Here is the synopsis that appeared on the ECHO web site (www.echovermont.org):

Session 1: May 25 Forms of Carbon

Come learn about the amazing diversity in the phases of carbon - diamonds to buckyballs and nanotubes - from physicists at the University of Vermont. "See" carbon nanotubes being made in front of your eyes! Guests will get a chance to make their own buckyball model and explore the various properties of graphite and diamond.

Session 2: June 21 Nanosurfaces

Objects on the nanoscale often behave differently from those we are used to seeing at the everyday macroscopic scale. Come join physicists from the University of Vermont as they demonstrate some of these interesting materials that illustrate the promise of nanotechnology. Do you know sand can be made to "fear" water? We will explore some examples of nanostructured surfaces.

Session 3: July 10 Liquid Crystals

Join physicists from the University of Vermont and explore the mysterious world of liquid crystals. Liquid crystals are used in products all around us - from thermometers to televisions. Ever wonder how those LCD projectors work? Come see one "turned inside out" and discover the secret! Guests will be able to examine various types of LCD's and their fascinating properties.

Session 4: August 14 Nanomaterials and You

Along with physicists from the University of Vermont, come and experience the strange properties of a magnetic fluid and other nanomaterials. Did you know the size of a particle can determine its color? Guests will be able to "handle" seldom seen nanomaterials and learn about their surprising properties.

Mid-America Science Museum and the University of Arkansas Little Rock Nano Technology Research Center participated in NanoDays on April 4 and 5, 2008 at Mid-America Science Museum (MASM). Our NanoDays event helped to raise public awareness of nanoscale science and engineering in central Arkansas communitt.

We had 4 prongs on our NanoDays fork, all of which took place in one day. First, there was a lecture by a professor with the Nanobiotechnology Institute at Johns Hopkins University called "Tiny Talk: A Glimpse into the Emerging Field of Nanotechnology", which was geared towards an adult audience. Next we had a series of staffed tables that answered the questions “What is nano?”, “Why is nano special?”, and “Where is nano found?” using 2 hands-on activities at each table. We also performed our demonstration on the medical uses of nanowires. Both of these activities were geared for a wide range of ages. Lastly, our Kid's Room, just for kids under 8, had a short storytime followed by some "Eensy Weensy Itsy Bitsy Science" activities that introduced the concepts of scale and a microscope.

At the Museum's Lab, up to six visitors at a time were able to sit down at a counter and, with the help of the Lab facilitator, complete a NanoDays kit activity. The Lab was open 5 ½ days during the NanoDays celebration for two hours in the morning and two hours in the afternoon.

We also held a public forum on Nanotechnology and Alternative Energy

Science Museum of Minnesota participated in NanoDays with performances of nano themed shows and public programs. We also displayed two nano themed exhibits and held a public forum on nano in medicine.

On the museum floor: daily nano demonstrations throughout NanoDays, a loaned tabletop SEM that visitors could operate, and prototype nanotechnology exhibits on nanomedicine and intro to nano.

Special events in Portland: Lecture on nanotechnology and solar energy on March 18 (a bit before NanoDays); Nanotechnology Science Pub on March 31; Nanotechnology and Alternative Energy Forum on April 2; and three Nano and Alternative Energy Forums in Eastern Oregon during April 7-9.

We held a NanoDays weekend (Friday, Saturday and Sunday) where the NISE kit demostrations were showcased throughout the museum.
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Over 2,000 teachers, students, and parents visited NC State University and participated in nanoscale investigations, heard talks on nanoscale science, and toured nanotechnology laboratories.

A high school students from Escuela Trina Padilla de Sanz, Escuela Vocacional Antonio Lucchetti from Arecibo area, Escuela Estella Márquez from Salinas and Escuela Isidro Sánchez from Luquillo participated on Fuel Cells Workshop offered by the Dr. Cabrera Research Team.

On Saturday, May 3, 2008, over 100 students from three of the Museum's youth programs (Museum Studies Academy at North Miami Senior High School, Upward Bound, and RISE) gathered at the Museum for Nano Career Day. The overall goal of the event was to expose and prepare students to consider various science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) careers.

The program began at 10 am with a presentation on Nanoscale Science and Engineering: How Nanotechnology Is Impacting Our Everyday Lives, presented by Dr. Aldrin Sweeney, Science Education, University of Central Florida. Next came an exploration of What It Means to Have a Career in Nanotechnology through presentations and hands-on exhibits provided by Dr. Mauris De Silva, Naval Institute for Dental & Biomedical Research, Dr. Arvind Agarwal, Electrical & Computer Engineering, FIU, Dr. Chenzhong Li, Electrical & Computer Engineering, FIU, Dr. Roberto Panepucci, Electrical & Computer Engineering, FIU, and several graduate students from FIU. In addition, museum explainers and student ambassadors from the Museum's Upward Bound program organized and presented a series of hands-on nano exhibits in the Museum lobby. These activities included discovering the uses of liquid crystals, the difference between nano reactions and regular reactions, the bonds that affect nano particles, and the power of nano particles.

After a buffet lunch, students and Museum visitors reconvened in the Museum Theater for Nanotechnology: A Journey to the "Nano World" by Dr. Mauris De Silva, Naval Institute for Dental & Biomedical Research. The day concluded with free time to explore the Museum's exhibits.