HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — Sci-Quest, Hands-on Science Center will host NanoDays on Saturday, April 5, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Visitors of all ages will explore capillary action and non-Newtonian fluids, investigate new nano products and materials, and imagine what society might be like if we all wore invisibility cloaks. Other activities include using electricity to make a nickel coin look like a penny, and a program about Robots & People.
NanoDays at Sci-Quest is part of a nationwide festival of educational programs about nanoscale science and engineering. NanoDays activities are included with general admission to Sci-Quest. The event will be held at Sci-Quest’s new location at 1435 Paramount Drive in Huntsville, Alabama.
NanoDays is organized by the Nanoscale Informal Science Education Network (NISE Net), and takes place nationally from March 29 – April 6, 2014. This community-based event is the largest public outreach effort in nanoscale informal science education and involves science museums, research centers, and universities from Puerto Rico to Alaska.
Sci-Quest’s NanoDays event will combine fun hands-on activities with presentations on current research. A range of exciting NanoDays activities demonstrate the special and unexpected properties found at the nanoscale, examine tools used by nanoscientists, showcase nano materials with spectacular promise, and invite discussion of technology and society.
For here for more information about Nano.
More about Nano and NISE Network
At the nanoscale—the scale of atoms and molecules—many common materials exhibit unusual properties. Our ability to manipulate matter at this size enables innovations that weren’t possible before. Nanotechnology is revolutionizing research and development in medicine, computing, new materials, food, energy, and other areas.
Nano will affect our economy, the environment, and our personal lives. Some scientists think that future nanotechnologies and materials could transform our lives as much as cars, the personal computer, or the internet! But the costs, risks, and benefits of this new technology can be difficult to understand, both for experts and for the general public. The NISE Network helps museums, research institutions, and the public learn from each other about this emerging field so that together we can make informed decisions.
The Nanoscale Informal Science Education Network (NISE Net) is a national community of researchers and informal science educators dedicated to fostering public awareness, engagement, and understanding of nanoscale science, engineering, and technology. The NISE Network community in the United States is led by 14 organizations, and includes hundreds of museums and universities nationwide. NISE Net was launched in 2005 with funding from the National Science Foundation, and received a five-year renewal in 2010.
Through products like NanoDays, the NISE Network is actively building partnerships between science museums and research centers to increase their capacity to engage the public in learning about nanoscale science and engineering.
For more information about NISE Net or to download a digital NanoDays kit click here.
