a blog by the NSF Center for Sustainable Nanotechnology
Autumn is here, which means summer colors are beginning to fade and many leaves are starting to change from green to red and yellow. Although it’s all around us, we might not often think about what color actually is. Color is the characteristic that describes the light waves that are absorbed by, and bounce off, …
Continue reading "The Chemistry of Color Tests"
It’s hard to turn down an opportunity to share how cool nanoscience is with the public, and especially with children. Back in February, a group of CSN affiliated women hosted an activity at the Science Museum of Minnesota for their Women in Science and Engineering Day. As members of the Center for Sustainable Nanotechnology, we …
Continue reading "Life is S’more Fun with Nanoscience"
Yes folks, we’ve done it. You probably didn’t think we could, but we found another way to talk about beer and nanoparticles! Have you ever pondered why bubbles form and rise from the bottom of a beer glass? There is an astonishing amount of research on the bubbling or “fizzics” of beer. During the production …
Continue reading "From Beer Bubbles to Nanoparticles: What is Nucleation?"
Every Thanksgiving we gorge ourselves on delicious food and become very sleepy. Inevitably at that point, someone volunteers that it’s the turkey that’s made you tired. Turkey meat contains a naturally occurring amino acid called L-tryptophan, which is necessary for the synthesis of melatonin, which in turn helps regulate sleep cycles.1 It has been shown …
Sustainable Nano 