a blog by the NSF Center for Sustainable Nanotechnology
Have you ever heard the phrase “walking on eggshells”? The phrase is usually meant to convey the message that you should take care in not disrupting or offending someone. It turns out, though, that you can actually walk on eggshells without breaking them. This is achievable because the person’s weight is equally distributed over the …
Continue reading "Charged Chains and How They Interact with Model Biological Interfaces"
One of the exciting things about being a scientist is that we occasionally get a chance to meet up with colleagues from all over the world. I just got back from the 2018 Gordon Research Conference (GRC) on Scientific Methods in Cultural Heritage Research in Castelldefels, Barcelona, Spain. Now, you may be asking yourself what …
Continue reading "What to expect at your first international science conference"
Is it a solid? Is it a liquid? It behaves in a way that reminds us a little of both. But what is it? Slime! (Figure 1) Making slime is a majorly successful activity used to illustrate a number of scientific concepts. While this activity is usually reserved for classrooms, or live demonstrations intended for …
Continue reading "Breaking News: Slime Time Chemistry Slip-Up!"
Have you ever used a poem or song to help yourself remember a complicated concept or a list that you were sure to forget? (Figure 1) As I sat and thought about the many times that songs and clever poems helped me to remember things like the history and progression of the atomic model or …
Continue reading "Have You Ever Heard a Lemon Sing? Music and Chemistry"
Did you know that there are nearly 70,000 different types of soil in the United States?1 With the abundance of natural beauty that we see above the ground, it is easy to overlook all the roles that soil plays in our ecosystem. Soil does much more than simply providing the canvas for green spaces; it …
Continue reading "Digging Deep: Celebrating the Gem Beneath Our Feet"
It’s Sunday night and I am watching one of my favorite shows, which of course revolves around food. In this particular episode, competitors were challenged to incorporate blue into their baked delights without using artificial coloring. That may not seem to be much of a challenge, but there are actually very few naturally occurring blue …
Continue reading "How the Fruits Got Their Colors"
Incorporation of engineered nanomaterials into cosmetic products including sunscreens, makeups, soaps, moisturizers and shampoos is becoming increasingly more commonplace. Manufacturers incorporate nanomaterials into their products to improve product stability, improve the delivery of vitamins and antioxidants and make products more aesthetically appealing.1 As a result of this increasing use, you may have encountered nanomaterials in …
Continue reading "What Do Gold Nanoparticles Have to Do With Wrinkly Skin?"
Attending Spelman College helped me to realize my potential as a scientist and as a scholar. Sitting in a room full of women, the pressure of impressing members of the opposite sex removed, I was able to come into myself, build confidence and explore my role in scientific discourse. I did not realize how comfortable …
Continue reading "Girls-in-STEM Programs & My Single-Sex Education Experience"
Sustainable Nano 